*** Update: September 2025: Black Beauty has been temporarily removed from public display due to ground settling around the plinth of the statue. Thank you for your patience. We hope that the piece will be back on view very soon.


Black Beauty is one of the best selling books of all time and is still popular as a children's classic to this day. Completed in 1877, it tells the story of a horse named Black Beauty, and is a pioneering example of literature written from the viewpoint of an animal. The book's author Anna Sewell was born in 1820 in the Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth, hence Anna Sewell and Black Beauty are jointly the subject of a new artwork that I brought to life on the three dimensional canvas of a fibreglass horse statue during September 2024, painting live in public in Great Yarmouth Market Place.

Whilst researching for this project, I visited Anna Sewell's birthplace in Church Plain, Great Yarmouth, now a museum run by volunteers from Redwings Horse Sanctuary. I was privileged to view numerous beautiful antique editions of the book, alongside slides of the original illustrations. The museum is entirely run by volunteers, is open on Wednesdays and Fridays and is definitely worth a visit. Nicola Knight, Head of Communications  at Redwings Horse Sanctuary explains about the significance of Anna Sewell's Black Beauty.

Earlier in 2024, I painted a miniature version of the design onto a scale model of a horse, which was so small I needed a magnifying glass. Quite a contrast with the full size fibreglass horse which was supplied by Horn Imports.
 

Naturally, my colour palette was limited, mostly black and white, with subtle touches of colour where appropriate. I mapped out the main features of the design, using a kitchen sponge for soft, atmospheric texture. Working live in the busy market place meant that I was surrounded by visitors the whole time I was there. People took more and more interest as the artwork unfolded over a period of 4 days. Gradually, the human and equine portraits took shape, partly based on historical reference photos. 
 

When she was 14, Anna Sewell was injured in an accident, which left her permanently unable to walk. As a result, she became dependent on horse-drawn transport, which fostered a lifelong love and respect for horses.
 

Black Beauty was her only novel, written between 1871 and 1877. During this time, her health declined and she was largely bedridden. Her mother helped her, writing down the text as she dictated it. Anna sold the book to local publishers Jarrold & Sons. It was an immediate success. Anna sadly died five months after its publication, but even she lived to see its initial success.
 

The new Great Yarmouth heritage trail is scheduled for launch in late Spring of 2025. Black Beauty looks forward to welcoming you to Great Yarmouth.
 

Finally, just a polite reminder to kindly respect all of the artworks on the trail. They are not designed to be climbed or sat on. Many thanks for watching and stay tuned for trail updates coming soon.