Jamie Rountree, Director, Rountree Tryon Galleries believes one of the most important aspects of equestrian art is its connectedness:
"Sporting art should be seen as an intriguing historical document of a nation's rise and fall, especially its love affair with the horse."
Rountree points out: "In the days when horses were important facets of everyday life the 'Sporting' artist was developed. Painters, who loved their subject, were highly skilled and concentrated on showcasing their patron's status, especially concerning the horse."
Rountree highlights the two founders of sporting art in the early part of the 18th century, James Seymour and John Wootton. He reveals: "Seymour was addicted to horse racing and the nefarious art of gambling, while Wootton was socially adept and finessed his way around the aristocratic world of Georgian England."