THOMAS GOOCH 205 



In 1 78 1, the year of his first contribution to the 

 Royal Academy, Gooch's address is given as " 7, 

 facing the Chapel, Knightsbridge " : he was repre- 

 sented by three works in that year's exhibition, 

 and thenceforward until 1S02 was a tolerably 

 regular and often large contributor, sending no 

 fewer than seventy-six pictures in eighteen years. 

 The large proportion of portraits in the list which 

 follows indicates the extent of his connection, and 

 testifies to the esteem in which his work was held 

 by contemporary sportsmen and other patrons of 

 art. His predilection for painting horses and dogs 

 on the same canvas compels notice ; but no doubt 

 this was usually done in compliance with the wish 

 of his patron. His pictures from time to time 

 received flattering notice in the pages of the 

 Sporting Magazine. Thus in the issue for May, 

 1 793, the critic remarks of Gooch's exhibits in the 

 Royal Academy : " ' The portrait of a horse ' will 

 be no disgrace to the Dormitory stud of the first 

 sportsman in the kingdom.' Again — "'Breaking 

 in the Young Coach-horse ' with its companion 

 picture ' The Latter State of the Coach-horse ' 

 does the artist credit ; they are a pretty pair of 

 pictures, and worthy a place in any sportsman's 

 collection." Modern art critics may perhaps con- 

 sider these remarks lacking in discrimination and 

 analytical spirit, but they at least go to prove that 



