The National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) in Middleburg, Virginia, recently announced the opening of its newest exhibition, Madeleine Bunbury: Modern Classic, with a special reception on October 9, 2025, from 6 to 8 pm in the Founders’ Room.

This highly anticipated event will celebrate the work of renowned equine portraitist Madeleine Bunbury, whose paintings will be on view and available for purchase through March 1, 2026. The exhibition will include eight paintings for purchase and five on loan from private lenders. A portion of the proceeds from sales will benefit the NSLM.

‘Timeless approach’

Now in her third year as NSLM’s artist in residence, Bunbury brings a timeless approach to equestrian art. “I concentrate on painting horses life-size in a traditional style, from life, using my own hand-ground paints and hand-stretched canvases,” she says. “I feel this style helps me to achieve an expressive representation which is unparalleled by modern photo-realistic paintings.”

Born in 1995 on Mustique Island and trained at the prestigious Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, Bunbury studied traditional portraiture and mastered the classical “sight size” technique. Her skill in capturing not only the physical form but also the essence of each horse has gained her an international following, with recent commissions across the U.K., the United States and Italy.

Related class: Painting from life

In conjunction with the opening, Bunbury will also lead a Horse Painting from Life class on October 10 in the Founders’ Room. A unique opportunity to work with a live equine model, it will offer attendees insight into Bunbury’s classical techniques and approach to equestrian portraiture.

About NSLM

The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting and sharing the literature, art and culture of equestrian, angling and field sports. To contact the library, call (540) 687-6542 or email [email protected].