Brush with the past for son of top artist

DAVID Appleyard used to accompany his father on painting trips when he was a child – and yesterday he came face to face with one of his father's works at an antiques fair in Harrogate.

The painting by his late father Joseph, a Leeds artist known for his equestrian and sporting portraits, features Joseph with David and his sister Joyce when they were children in their school uniforms.

Mr Appleyard, who had not seen the painting for over 12 years said yesterday after visiting Bowman Antiques Fair, in Harrogate: "It was quite exciting coming face to face with the painting, although I cannot afford to buy it.

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"I don't have any paintings of that quality and size, apart from one that was given to me.

"It's an incredible painting. It's in really, really pristine condition."

Mr Appleyard, of York, believes it was painted around 55 years ago when he was seven or eight.

It shows the Bramham Moor Hunt passing the Fox and Grapes pub on the A64.

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The work, which at one time was on display in the pub, has been in private ownership for a number of years, but is now being sold by Chris Hinch of Sheffield-based Chris Hinch Antiques.

Mr Hinch said: "It shows the hunt riding past the Fox and Grapes on York Road coming out of Leeds.

"He is a very popular artist and his paintings fetch quite a lot of money. This particular one is worth about 3,500.

"It's absolutely massive. The actual picture looks as though it has been painted on porcelain, it's that sharp, but it's actually oil on board."

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As a child Joseph Appleyard was forever drawing around the family tannery in Armley, Leeds, and after leaving school attended art classes at Leeds School of Art.

As a child, Mr Appleyard, recalls setting off with his father and accompanying him on his painting trips.

Mr Appleyard, who also paints, said: "We used to go out quite often on his painting excursions.

"It was exciting because we always used to go by bus – regardless of the weather we were dragged all over the place.

"I realised at the time how good he was.

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"I paint myself. I think I absorbed it without realising it, I'm not as good though," he adds modestly.

Horses played a big part in his work and his first assignment came when a polo player asked him to paint two ponies.

Joseph Appleyard's work was much featured in the Yorkshire Post in the 1950s.

The paper carried many dozens of sketches and illustrations, hunting scenes and landscapes, railway stations and canals.

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Mr Appleyard has spent a number of years building up a website chronicling his father's work.

Yesterday Mr Appleyard was at the antiques show to take photographs of the painting featuring the Fox and Grapes to put on his website.

"It's a record of my father's work. There's over 300 paintings on it," he said.

His father kept extensive records of his own work but Mr Appleyard believes there could be more examples of his father's work that he does not know about and he is keen to hear from anyone who may have an original Appleyard.

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Anyone who has, or knows the whereabouts, of any of Joseph Appleyard's work should contact him at the email address josephappleyard@googlemail.

com

The collection so far can be viewed at the website www.josephappleyard.co.uk

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