Observations and Preparations

Paintings inspired by the Sport of Polo

An initiative with Windsor Polo Club

Evert’s foray into Equine art was an early ‘double portrait’ of a Suffolk Punch draft horse and his owner, the work subsequently went on to win first place in the Ex Arte Equinus IV International Equine art competition of Art Horse Magazine in 2010. But it was watching his first Polo match at the Australian Open Final in 2017 that truly excited him; the kinetic energy, the colour, the smells and sounds, the overall atmosphere of the day that resulted in him painting a small study of two Polo players that was included in a one-off art exhibition during the XI FIP World Polo Championship later that year.

Revisiting and inspired by the paintings of the esteemed English equine artist Sir Alfred Munnings (1878–1959) a conversation began about creating a collection of oil paintings based on the Polo, with a view to show. During the end of the 2023 season, Evert emersed himself in frequent visits to match events, observing the chukkas, the riders and preparing reference material, in particular “behind the scenes” and the way horses are groomed and tacked, lead and washed; it’s this ritualistic process that intrigues Evert and how we use our hands in doing so. The paintings exhibit loose and rhythmical brushwork to maintain that high level of movement and exhilaration that is so evident in the sport, in a scale with a view to create larger works. Evert wishes to sincerely thank the Windsor Polo Club and in particular the President Julie McIntosh for facilitating this exhibition to fruition.