Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877 – 1963) Equestrian Oil Painting Portrait on Wood Panel of a Thoroughbred Horse Titled “Sweetie” Circa 1920

Frances Mabel Hollams (England 1877 – 1963) equestrian oil painting on wood board of a thoroughbred horse titled “Sweetie” circa 1920. Measures 17″ x 12 3/8″ panel; 20 1/8″ x 15 3/8″ framed overall. Good condition – light wear to panel and frame consistent with age. Presents beautifully.

Inscribed verso: “Painted by F. M. Hollams (Mrs. C. L. Fox) Puttenden Manor Tonbridge”.

Hollams was a popular British painter of horses and dogs, active in the first three decades of the 20th century. She is noted for her technique of painting on wood panel with no background so that the grain of the wood is visible. Growing up at Dene Park in Shipbourne, she later moved to Puttenden Manor near the hamlet of Dunks Green.

Hollams studied under artist Frank Calderdon and, at a time when most schools did not accept female students, she studied in Paris at Académie Julian.

Hollams painted for Royalty and many aristocratic families. One of her paintings, a royal horse, hangs in the Mounted Branch Museum at Imber Court. Many of her paintings are listed in the collection of the National Trust. She was one of the first female Royal Academicians, exhibiting eight paintings, and in 1899 was elected to the Society of Women Artists.