Major Contemporary Art Acquisition by the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art, Palace House, Newmarket.
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The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art at Palace House, Newmarket has acquired a remarkable contemporary photographic print by Ripley. It will be on view from 30th October 2018 in the Museum’s Gallery 6.
Dr Patricia Hardy, Packard Head of Collections, Exhibitions and Displays said: ‘We are delighted when high calibre artworks are added to our national horseracing collection. Thanks to everyone involved for enabling us to share this beautiful work featuring the celebrated Pivotal.’
This work portrays Pivotal with mares and foals at Cheveley Park Stud. Born in 1993 Pivotal won the Nunthorpe Stakes in 1996, as did his son Kyllachy in 2002 and his grandson Sole Power in 2010 and 2014, and has become known as a phenomenal breeding stallion. As of October 2018 he was the sire of over 228 Stakes performers (83 Group winners and 63 Listed winners) over different distances.
Pivotal is shown here at Cheveley Park, bought by David and Patricia Thompson in 1977, where Pivotal was born and bred. He was selected to be the subject of this work by the Newmarket Open Weekend committee which commissioned the photographer Ripley. He proceeded to spend almost a year taking hundreds of photographs of the stud, the landscape, and Pivotal which he digitally manipulated to create a unique composition. Pivotal in reality would not share a paddock with mares and foals, nor does the stud have these specific trees and the sky is a compilation of numerous images but as a whole the composition is beautifully balanced. The work is painstaking because every image is magnified to a very high resolution to provide the greatest level of detail. The heightened colour of the red stable doors and green grass is balanced by the tones of cloud and sky and Pivotal is centrally positioned to give maximum impact.
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Ripley was joined by Mrs. Thompson and the Mayor of Newmarket, Rachel Hood for the unveiling of the photographic print at the National Heritage Centre on 12th October.
Chair of the Newmarket Open Weekend, Stephen Wallis said:
‘The Newmarket Open Weekend Committee are extremely grateful to not only the anonymous donor, but also to Mr and Mrs Thompson and not least Ripley. Ripley gave our fund raising auction a commission. The anonymous donor bought it, with conditions which we, the Committee, were able to achieve thanks to the help we received from Mr and Mrs Thompson. To see the finished work in The National Heritage Centre is a joy.
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For more information please contact Emily Davey : 01638 667314
Emily.davey@nhrm.co.uk www.palacehousenewmarket.co.uk
About Palace House Newmarket
Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm daily
General Admission: £12.00
Children (5-16 years): £7.00
Family (2 adults and 4 children): £35.00
All Day Tickets can be upgraded to an Annual Pass on the day of purchase by paying the difference
On 3rd November 2016 Her Majesty the Queen opened the new National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art. Situated in the remaining elements of Charles II’s sporting palace and stables it spans five acres in the heart of Newmarket and comprises three complementary attractions: The National Horseracing Museum (NHRM Registered Charity No. 283656), the Fred Packard Galleries of British Sporting Art (BSAT Registered Charity No. 274156) and a new flagship yard for Retraining of Racehorses Charity (Registered Charity No. 1084787).