6 famous hunting artists of the golden era of sporting art
The 19th century marked the Golden Era of hunting art, as wealthy landowners increasingly commissioned paintings to celebrate their sporting triumphs. This growing interest created new opportunities for artists to specialize in sporting subjects, capturing prized horses, notable hunts, and paintings of hunting dogs that showcased champion animals and the skill of the sportsmen who owned them.
In this article, we'll explore some of the sporting artists who rose to fame during this time period.
Percival Leonard Rosseau
Born in Louisiana, Percival Leonard Rosseau took an unusual path to becoming one of America's most celebrated hunting and sporting artists. Originally a businessman, Rosseau left his successful import business to study art in Paris.
After exhibiting a hunting dog painting at the salon in 1904, and selling it immediately, he decided to change direction. Devoting all of his time to the study and painting of dogs.
When he returned to the United States, he found that wealthy sportsmen were eager to pay him for this canine portraits, as they took great pride in their dogs and their skill in the field.
He took his work very seriously, becoming a master of canine anatomy, which you can see in his work. His paintings often featured hunting dogs in the field, paying strict attention to musculature, fur patterns, and other small details.
Paintings by Percival Rosseau
Rossea himself was also a sportsmen, raising and training many hunting dogs to pose for his upland and waterfowl hunting paintings. One particular dog seems to appear in several of his works, an English Setter named Leda. One of these paintings resides in the private collection of the American Kennel Club. But, my favorite is titled 'Leda and the Duck' a lovely painting featuring a marsh backdrop, with Leda dutifully retrieving a Mallard hen from the water and returning to her master. It's an exceptional work in my opinion, displaying all of Rossea's talents as an artist.
Maud Alice Earl
One of the most celebrated canine artists of the Victorian era, Earl was known for her remarkable ability to capture the character and expression of dogs, often times in the field.
Born into a family of painters, she learned her craft from her father, George Earl, a respected sporting artist in his own right.
Much like Rosseau, Earl found a market for her work amoungst wealthy sporting enthusiasts seeking portraits of their prized hunting dogs that they would display in their grand estates.
Her hunting dog artwork often featured popular sporting breeds such as labradors, setters, pointers, and greyhounds.
Eventually Earl found royal patronage, being commissioned by Queen Victoria to paint her favorite Collie, Snowball, in 1897.
While many of Earl's paintings were portraits of individual dogs, she also captured the excitement of sporting pastimes through bird hunting paintings, featuring working breeds in the field. Her careful attention to anatomy, expression, and breed standards made her a highly sought after painter in her time. And, even today, quite popular with sporting art collectors who have a keen eye for detail.