From the collection of:
International Museum of the Horse || VAM Home

This portrait of the horse Kentucky is by celebrated sporting painter Edward Troye.

About the Artist

The son of a French sculptor, Edward Troye was born in Lusanne, Switzerland, in 1808. He moved to the United States as a young man, making a career for himself painting portraits of thoroughbred racehorses. Troye settled in Kentucky sometime around 1830 and, aside from a brief move to Alabama, lived in the Bluegrass State until his death in 1874.

Classroom Ideas

Discussion: Compare this painting by Edward Troye to the two horse portraits by Franklin Voss (Citation and Whirlaway). What are some of the differences you notice? Are there any similarities between the works by the two artists? Do you think one artist is superior to the other? Why or why not?

Activity: For a totally different interpretation of the horse in art, view Deborah Butterfield’s Untitled (Horse) at the Speed Art Museum’s web site [www.speedmuseum.org/butterfield_n.html]. Her work was created in 1981, more than a century after Troye painted his picture. Can you tell that, like Troye, Butterfield admires horses? Briefly highlight the ways these two artworks are alike and different. In your choice of medium, create a portrait of a horse for the 21st century.

Links

Troye’s funerary monument is in Georgetown, KY.
[gfisk.com/px/horses/edwardtroyemonument.cfm]

An Edward Troye portrait of Asteroid is a former picture of the week at TheRunningHorse.com.
[www.therunninghorse.com/pow/edward-troye-1865-asteroid.shtml]