Sir Alfred James Munnings, PRA, RWS

(British, 1878-1959)

Jogging on

Footnotes

Alfred Munnings arrived in Cornwall in late summer 1911, 'curious to see this country which attracted artists'¹ eventually settling to live and work in the Lamorna Valley. Munnings was a great hunting enthusiast and upon arriving in Cornwall he began to ride with the Western Foxhounds. Led by Thomas Robins Bolitho, 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.² Bolitho, the oldest huntsman in England at the time, having been master since 1864, was painted by Munnings on his favourite hunter, Barum, in 1920, on the occasion of his Golden Wedding Anniversary.

Munnings enjoyed his days out hunting and often was inspired by what he saw, noting in his autobiography that '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'³

This scene appears to depict hunt followers and the huntsman bringing the hounds to the meet prior to setting off. The principal rider is most likely Ned Osborne- 'simple soul, who grew into a useful combination of groom-model, and posed for many picture'⁴ and the scene is set in Lamorna, with the properties 'Riverside Cottage' and 'My Rosary' in the background. Munnings often used his own horses and groom as models and the central horse in the present composition was most probably the brown mare that the artist brought down from Norfolk with him when he settled in Lamorna in 1911. 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 depicting a head-on view of a huntsman returning home, was exhibited at National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Saratoga, New York in 1999.

¹Sir Alfred Munnings, An Artist's Life – Autobiography, Museum Press, London, 1950, p. 270.
²Sporting Life and Sportsmen, 1925 p. 123.
³ An Artist's Life, p. 258.
⁴Ibid, p. 273.

We are grateful to Lorian Peralta-Ramos for compiling this catalogue entry. We are also grateful to David Tovey for supplying supplementary information regarding Munning's time in Cornwall.