John Ferneley Senior

'Harlequin', a dark bay hunter in a stable 1829

1829

John E. Ferneley was an English painter who specialised in portraying sporting horses and hunting scenes. Although his rendition of horses was stylised, he is regarded as one of the great British equine artists, second perhaps only to George Stubbs. His work was exhibited between 1806 and 1853 at the Royal Academy. He traveled extensively in Ireland from 1806 to 1809, but returned to England to marry, and started working from Melton Mowbray. Here he built his studio and later a house, Elgin Lodge, on the Scalford Rd. Melton Mowbray was fast becoming a watering hole for the sporting fraternity and the place where modern fox-hunting developed in the late eighteenth century. Hugo Meynell, a wealthy local bred his hounds to keep up with the horses and riders in their pursuit over hedges and ditches. At this time riders began wearing the scarlet jackets which were to become traditional. Ferneley routinely was commissioned to paint the famous Quorn, Belvoir, and Cottesmore hunts.