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Actions Displays	Colt of mare and arab horse Remove from selection Add to selection Reproduction Object numberRCSSC/P 281 Scientific nameEquus caballus CollectionSpecial collections CategoryVisual works Object nameAnimal subjects (visual works), Oil paintings TitleColt of mare and arab horse DescriptionPainting of a colt, progeny of an Arab mare and Arab sire, by Jacques Laurent Agasse, unsigned, 1821. This animal was part of an experiment carried out by Lord Morton that aimed to demonstrate the principles of telegony. This is the idea, now discredited but widely believed until the late 19th century, that offspring can inherit the characteristics of a previous mate of the female parent. In 1815 Morton bred an seven-eighths Arabian mare with a quagga sire, producing a hybrid female foal. The mare was subsequently sold or given to Sir Gore Ouseley, and was bred with a black Arabian stallion. This produced two foals - a filly and a colt (shown in this painting) - both of which had, according to Morton, a 'striking resemblance' to the quagga. He reported his observations in a paper to the Royal Society in November 1820, and William Hyde Wollaston submitted a postscript to the published version to confirm that he too had seen the filly and colt and could confirm their quagga-like appearance. Production date 1821 Artist‎ Agasse, Jacques-Laurent, 1767-1849, painter Owner/user Douglas, George, 1761-1827, 16th Earl of Morton commissioned Agasse, Jacques-Laurent, 1767-1849, painter (1821) Related objectsRCSSC/P 279RCSSC/P 278RCSSC/P 280RCSSC/P 282RCSSC/P 283 Physical Location LocationNot on public display: contact museum for access conditions Physical Information Physical descriptionOil on canvas, 48cm by 58cm. In gilt wooden frame, glazed, 62cm by 72.5cm. 57COLT OF MARE & ARAB HORSE Bibliography SourceLe Fanu 1960 91 NotesLe Fanu described Morton as the 15th Earl: in fact he was the 16th. TranscriptLord Morton's Experiments Telegony: can the womb be influenced by its past progeny? Six paintings: Oil on canvas, unsigned. Each 48 x 58cm. Painted from the living animals for the College in 1821 by Jacques-Laurent Agasse, who was paid 60 guineas on 19 September and 12 guineas on 26 December 1821. George, 15th Earl of Morton F R S mated a male quagga with an Arab mare, and their progeny had "some of the marks and colour of both parents." The mare was subsequently mated with an Arab stallion, and three successive foals showed markings which appeared to be like those of the quagga. See Philosophical Transactions 1821, 111, 20-22: 'A communication of a singular fact in Natural History.' Keith commented in his list of these pictures: 'The stripes and black band along the back may be due not to quagga influence, but to a reappearance of atavistic characters derived through sire or dam.' [...] 281. Colt, the first progeny of the Arab mare when sired by the Arab stallion The whole animal, profile to left, in landscape. Clift 1820 # 46; Keith # 57 Clift notes: "Much more extensively marked on the Neck and shoulders than the mule [# 279 above] and also slightly marked on all its legs." SourceKeith 1908 NotesThe following entries relating to the quagga paintings are recorded in Arthur Keith's abstract of the minutes of the Board of Curators: November 1821: Paid Mr Agasse £12.12 to prepare drawings of Lord Morton's hybrid experiments. June 1873: Agasse's oil drawing of Lord Morton's Mare is restored, cost of repairs £10. June 1905: Lord Morton's pictures again restored by Kemp, Modeller, paid £10.7.6. SourceClift MS. diary NotesThe following extracts from William Clift's diary relate to the commissioning of the paintings in this series. Transcript1821 8th July. Mr Agasse brought home the last of the 5 paintings of the Quagga Family. 20th July. From Sir Everard Home. Received a small drawing of the Mule animal produced between the Quagga and Lord Morton's Mare. Sent by Lord Morton to Sir Everard Home. The drawing was made from the Animal in Scotland. To form part of the Series, if Mr Agasse will undertake to paint a picture from the Drawing. Had it away for that purpose on the 26th September 1821. Returned it and the Picture, Monday October 8th 1821. 1059 11th September. Mr Agasse took away & varnished, and returned the 5 pictures of the Quagga Family, this day. 24th September. Paid Mr Agasse for the 5 pictures of the Quagga family. WC. £63.0.0. 8th October. Received the 6th Picture of the Series of the Quagga family from Mr Agasse. 22nd October. Mr Agasse sent home the 8th [of October] the Picture of the Mule Quagga. 10th December. Mr Agasse brought back the Painting of the Mule of the Quagga (and the drawing) quite finished. 1822 26th February. Hanging the Six Pictures of the Quagga family. Six yards of red cord 1/3. Screws for hastenings to ditto 1/6, Brass ring plates for ditto 1/4. 11th March. Bd of Curators. Reported that Mr Callahan's men had put up a Brass rod for the Pictures of the Quagga family.

Reproduction

Object numberRCSSC/P 281

Object nameAnimal subjects (visual works), Oil paintings

TitleColt of mare and arab horse

DescriptionPainting of a colt, progeny of an Arab mare and Arab sire, by Jacques Laurent Agasse, unsigned, 1821. This animal was part of an experiment carried out by Lord Morton that aimed to demonstrate the principles of telegony. This is the idea, now discredited but widely believed until the late 19th century, that offspring can inherit the characteristics of a previous mate of the female parent. In 1815 Morton bred an seven-eighths Arabian mare with a quagga sire, producing a hybrid female foal. The mare was subsequently sold or given to Sir Gore Ouseley, and was bred with a black Arabian stallion. This produced two foals - a filly and a colt (shown in this painting) - both of which had, according to Morton, a 'striking resemblance' to the quagga. He reported his observations in a paper to the Royal Society in November 1820, and William Hyde Wollaston submitted a postscript to the published version to confirm that he too had seen the filly and colt and could confirm their quagga-like appearance.

Production date 1821

Artist‎

Agasse, Jacques-Laurent, 1767-1849, painter

Owner/user

Douglas, George, 1761-1827, 16th Earl of Morton

commissioned

Agasse, Jacques-Laurent, 1767-1849, painter (1821)

Related objectsRCSSC/P 279RCSSC/P 278RCSSC/P 280RCSSC/P 282RCSSC/P 283

Physical Location

LocationNot on public display: contact museum for access conditions

Physical Information

Physical descriptionOil on canvas, 48cm by 58cm. In gilt wooden frame, glazed, 62cm by 72.5cm.

57COLT OF MARE & ARAB HORSE

Bibliography

SourceLe Fanu 1960

NotesLe Fanu described Morton as the 15th Earl: in fact he was the 16th.

TranscriptLord Morton's Experiments Telegony: can the womb be influenced by its past progeny? Six paintings: Oil on canvas, unsigned. Each 48 x 58cm. Painted from the living animals for the College in 1821 by Jacques-Laurent Agasse, who was paid 60 guineas on 19 September and 12 guineas on 26 December 1821. George, 15th Earl of Morton F R S mated a male quagga with an Arab mare, and their progeny had "some of the marks and colour of both parents." The mare was subsequently mated with an Arab stallion, and three successive foals showed markings which appeared to be like those of the quagga. See Philosophical Transactions 1821, 111, 20-22: 'A communication of a singular fact in Natural History.' Keith commented in his list of these pictures: 'The stripes and black band along the back may be due not to quagga influence, but to a reappearance of atavistic characters derived through sire or dam.' [...] 281. Colt, the first progeny of the Arab mare when sired by the Arab stallion The whole animal, profile to left, in landscape. Clift 1820 # 46; Keith # 57 Clift notes: "Much more extensively marked on the Neck and shoulders than the mule [# 279 above] and also slightly marked on all its legs."

SourceKeith 1908

NotesThe following entries relating to the quagga paintings are recorded in Arthur Keith's abstract of the minutes of the Board of Curators: November 1821: Paid Mr Agasse £12.12 to prepare drawings of Lord Morton's hybrid experiments. June 1873: Agasse's oil drawing of Lord Morton's Mare is restored, cost of repairs £10. June 1905: Lord Morton's pictures again restored by Kemp, Modeller, paid £10.7.6.

SourceClift MS. diary

NotesThe following extracts from William Clift's diary relate to the commissioning of the paintings in this series.

Transcript1821 8th July. Mr Agasse brought home the last of the 5 paintings of the Quagga Family. 20th July. From Sir Everard Home. Received a small drawing of the Mule animal produced between the Quagga and Lord Morton's Mare. Sent by Lord Morton to Sir Everard Home. The drawing was made from the Animal in Scotland. To form part of the Series, if Mr Agasse will undertake to paint a picture from the Drawing. Had it away for that purpose on the 26th September 1821. Returned it and the Picture, Monday October 8th 1821. 1059 11th September. Mr Agasse took away & varnished, and returned the 5 pictures of the Quagga Family, this day. 24th September. Paid Mr Agasse for the 5 pictures of the Quagga family. WC. £63.0.0. 8th October. Received the 6th Picture of the Series of the Quagga family from Mr Agasse. 22nd October. Mr Agasse sent home the 8th [of October] the Picture of the Mule Quagga. 10th December. Mr Agasse brought back the Painting of the Mule of the Quagga (and the drawing) quite finished. 1822 26th February. Hanging the Six Pictures of the Quagga family. Six yards of red cord 1/3. Screws for hastenings to ditto 1/6, Brass ring plates for ditto 1/4. 11th March. Bd of Curators. Reported that Mr Callahan's men had put up a Brass rod for the Pictures of the Quagga family.

Colt of mare and arab horse

Physical Location

Physical Information

Bibliography

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