Sir Alfred James Munnings, PRA, RWS

(British, 1878-1959)

Jogging on

Footnotes

Munnings was a great hunting enthusiast and upon arriving in Cornwall he began to ride with the Western Foxhounds. Led by the renowned Colonel William Bolitho, the oldest huntsman in England at the time, the Western was considered excellent hunting country with no wire and a plentiful supply of foxes. Hound bloodlines come from a number of the Leicestershire packs. (Sporting Life and Sportsmen, 1925 page 123)

Munnings enjoyed his days out hunting and often was inspired by what he saw.

"Hunting became part of my life, and I saw many things on those days: bright winter sunlight on clipped horses and scarlet coats; on bare trees; stacks; on farmhouse gables; the riding out after a slight frost; the riding home with a frost beginning and a young moon in the sky; puddles already crisping over as I said good night to friends. Such were needed to freshen my mind and vision (An Artist's Life, p. 258).

This scene appears to depict hunt followers and the huntsman bringing the hounds to the meet prior to setting off.

Munnings often used his own horses and groom as models and this horse, Patrick, despite his cropped tail and banged mane, was a particular favourite. On this grey day, the artist used a subdued palette yet adds life and brightness by juxtaposing the scarlet of the huntsman's jacket with the close vivid hues of green making each colour more vibrant. As a result, the central figures of horse and rider, as they are also painted in sharper focus, emerge from the background. This use of optical effects was a hallmark of his style even early in his career.

Although Munnings painted in watercolour during the first quarter of the 20th century, critics at the time noted his mastery of the medium. Munnings was a member of both the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour and the Royal Society of Watercolour Painters. A similar watercolour - The End of the Day - of a head-on view of a huntsman returning home was exhibited at National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga, NY in 1999.

We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos for compiling this catalogue entry.