c. 1870

Road Master

By the 1850s, the breeding, training, and racing of trotting horses in the United States was such a popular pastime that it was referred to as "the people's sport." This painting derives from a popular colored lithograph of the celebrated trotter Ethan Allen and his owner. The horse's distinct markings-three white feet and long flowing tail-have been copied from the original lithograph, but the inscription suggests that the painter adapted the image to another subject, perhaps as a special commission. Because it was common practice for artists to inscribe the bottom of prints and paintings with information about their subjects, the inscription "Road Master" likely refers to the horse's name and "E. W. Lovejoy" was either the owner or the painter.