£7,500.00
A wonderfully decorative and increasingly difficult-to-find complete set of four late Victorian fox hunting paintings by British sporting artist Charles Faulkner, each dating to 1891.
A wonderfully decorative and increasingly difficult-to-find complete set of four late Victorian fox hunting paintings by British sporting artist Charles Faulkner, each dating to 1891.
Painted in oil on board, the four works form a beautifully cohesive sporting series depicting different episodes from a traditional English fox hunt. Huntsmen dressed in characteristic scarlet coats are shown mounted across open countryside and woodland, accompanied throughout by horses and an animated pack of foxhounds.
Each painting presents a different moment from the day's sport.
Across the series we see riders gathering and conversing, huntsmen moving through the landscape, hounds working through cover and the quieter interactions between horse, rider and pack. Viewed together, the four paintings create a charming narrative of late nineteenth-century English sporting life.
Faulkner demonstrates a particular affection for the incidental details of the hunt. Individual hounds are picked out with remarkably lively touches of paint, while the horses are shown in differing poses and colours, from powerful dark hunters to chestnuts and bays.
The brilliant scarlet hunting coats punctuate an otherwise restrained Victorian palette of soft greens, autumnal browns and atmospheric grey-blue skies.
One particularly charming composition depicts a huntsman on foot surrounded by an attentive group of hounds, his horse standing patiently nearby. Another captures the excitement of riders and hounds moving across open country, while the larger gathering scenes convey the sociable character traditionally associated with the meet.
Despite their relatively intimate scale, the paintings possess considerable narrative detail and character.
Charles Faulkner was a British painter active during the latter part of the nineteenth century and is particularly associated with sporting, equestrian and fox-hunting subjects.
His known body of work includes numerous paintings of horses, huntsmen and hounds, with examples appearing periodically at British and international auction.
Faulkner's sporting paintings are particularly appealing for their combination of documentary observation and decorative charm. Rather than concentrating exclusively upon formal equestrian portraiture, his hunting scenes frequently depict the activity surrounding the sport: hounds gathering, riders conversing, horses waiting and the movement of the hunt through the English countryside.
These four paintings are particularly desirable in remaining together as a complete decorative group.
The paintings have been professionally reframed at some point during their history by a London art gallery, whose gallery stamp remains to the reverse.
Each is presented within a matching architectural giltwood frame comprising several graduated mouldings with finely detailed beaded and foliate decoration.
The warm, aged gilding works particularly well with Faulkner's palette, framing the flashes of scarlet within each composition and giving the group a wonderful English country-house appearance.
We particularly like finding groups of paintings that have remained together.
While individual Victorian sporting pictures are relatively easy to find, a matching set of four works by the same artist, depicting the same subject and dating from the same year, is considerably more appealing from both a collecting and decorative perspective.
These are also exceptionally easy paintings to live with.
Hung as a group of four, as two pairs, or arranged along a hallway or staircase, they have exactly the character we look for in traditional English country-house interiors.
The combination of horses, hounds, muted landscape and flashes of scarlet is quintessentially British, while their relatively compact proportions make them particularly versatile.
We would strongly recommend keeping the four paintings together and consequently offer them only as a complete set.
They would be particularly at home within a country house, library, study, drawing room, entrance hall, boot room or alongside an established collection of equestrian and sporting art.
Charles Faulkner
British, active late 19th century
Signed by the artist.
Dated 1891.
England
Oil on board
Later matching giltwood frames.
London art gallery stamp to the reverse.
All four paintings are presented in very good antique condition.
The oil-painted surfaces remain strong and attractive, retaining good colour, detail and definition throughout. The boards appear stable and the compositions remain particularly clear, with the scarlet coats, horses and individual hounds retaining considerable character.
The later giltwood frames are also in very good decorative condition, displaying minor rubbing, small marks and variations to the gilded finish consistent with age and use.
The frames have developed an attractive mellow colour which complements the paintings extremely well.
The four works are ready to hang and display.
As with all antique and vintage items, close inspection may reveal minor imperfections associated with age and previous ownership. We consider these part of the character and history of the pieces.
Height: 24 cm / 9.45 inches
Width: 40 cm / 15.75 inches
Depth: 3.5 cm / 1.38 inches
Weight: 0.9 kg / 1.98 lbs
Every item offered by Shackleton Fox is carefully inspected, prepared, and where necessary conserved within our workshop prior to sale.
As heritage craftsmen and antique specialists, we believe in preserving the authenticity and integrity of each piece. Original finishes, patina, wear, and signs of age are retained wherever possible, as these elements contribute to both character and historical significance.
When restoration, rewiring, repairs, or conservation work is required, it is undertaken sympathetically using traditional techniques and materials appropriate to the period of the piece. Our philosophy is one of careful stewardship rather than unnecessary restoration, ensuring antiques remain both functional and historically respectful.
The result is a collection of pieces that have been thoughtfully prepared, allowing future owners to enjoy them with confidence while preserving their unique story and character.
