Derby Days
John McEwen
This year marks the bicentenary of the Derby and to celebrate the event Coutts, the Financial Times, Moet and Chandon and Sotheby's have sponsored an exhibition of paintings and memorabilia document; ing the history of the race, 'Derby Day 200 (Royal Academy till 1 July). The organises of coffee-table shows never let their hair down enough, and this one is no exception. Very worthy and all that, but decidedly short on laughs and surprises. A magnificent gypsy caravan in the forecourt and a tented display or two is the sum of it, not a female wrestler, card-sharp or gypsy in sight. We are left with the race and, magnificent though it is, the last 199 have been prettY much the same, only the pedigree of the owners shortening while that of the horses has lengthened. 'In the early days, the winning owners were, with some exceptions, members of the aristocracy. In the late 190h century they were mostly noble and rich. Today they are just rich.' Meanwhile eyed English racehorse can claim descent front the three great stallions that were brough,t into this country at the end of the 17th an' beginning of the 18th centuries: The BY ley Turk and The Godolphin and DOM' Arabians. The best pictures on view ale suitably enough of our best ever horse, EcliPse (painted by the incomparable Stubbs), and the best horseman-artist, Gericault. There are also the second, chiaroscuro-correct, version of Frith's 'Derby Day'; some spanking Ben Mar'ails; nights of Herrings (an artist who, aPparently, inspired Manet and Degas); a Pkegas, 'Jockeys a Epsom', though not from we life; a slippery Munnings or two. Special attention is paid to Fred Archer (five victories), Steve Donoghue (six) and Lester Piggott (eight), but not to Charlie Smirke (four), still holder of the record for the %test Derby (Mahmoud, 1936) and the oldest rider to win the race (Hard Ridden, 1958). Jockeys' silks, the old gold and Peacock blue hoops of Victor Sassoon, are raised on high. News-cuttings retell the death of Emily Davison under the hooves of George Vs Anmer. Much is made of the weather — it rains invariably and has even snowed twice — but not of this year's race. Another trick missed:The attendance would have made a sweepstake worth winning. The Sutherland Gift to the Nation' (Marlborough till 28 April) is a selection of Paintings and drawings by Graham Sutherland from the collection of work he has donated for permanent exhibition at Picton Castle in Wales. The pomposity of the title unfortunately stems from Sutherland himself, who stated in 1976 that he hoped his gesture would prove to be `for the benefit of Pembrokeshire and the nation. If this samPie is representative then one can only marvel at his self-confidence. Much the best things are in the first room, the small works from the Thirties. In their knotty line and, fo a lesser extent, their subtle colour, they certainly do convey something of the strange disquiet that was Sutherland's overriding impression of the place when he first discovered it. But, instead of developing his understanding of the experience, he vulgarised it into a style. His post-War painting is nothing but the exploitation of this fleeting rl,Period of imaginative application. The colection may be a benefit, but as a warnjng
rather than an inspiration.
The -first and most important thing to be laid about 'French Art 1979: An English election' (Serpentine till 6 May) is that to Put on an exhibition of contemporary ELrench art was a good idea. It was good too ti_llat the selectors, Judy Marie, a member of tr.,fie Serpentine committee, and Sue rayson, the Gallery organiser, went without preconceptions and chose what they
liked.
The show is not a cultural package but reflects a genuinely random sample. The 1.esult, however, is not as `anarchic' as Judy matte suggests. It would seem that one of them liked the whimsically bizarre, the Other academic abstract painting. That the psv°1-k merely confirms suspicions that f:rance has run out of gas, is strengthened by tn_e fact that the most interesting artist, fl.lfred Courmes, is also much the oldest. l‘lot the least of its benefits is that it will surely cheer up the fraternity here. _
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