Henry Calvert

Arab stallion in a landscape. Henry Calvert (British 1798-1869)

Henry Calvert was an animal painter, particularly of the sporting variety and best known for his depictions of horses, hunting scenes and equestrian hunting portraits. He was born into an artistic family in Darlton which is near Tuxford in Nottinghamshire. He was one of nine siblings of whom three became artists, his father Charles was an amateur painter, a past time he enjoyed when not working as an agent for the Duke of Norfolk and his uncle Raisley was a sculptor. While still a child he moved to Manchester to live and remained there for the greater part of his life having established his working practice there. He only exhibited four works at the Royal Academy in London but sixty at the Manchester Institution which suggests that he did not need to advertise himself in the capital but found plenty of commissions in the north of England as well as securing a lot of work in Wales. Occasionally he worked in conjunction with other artists with Richard Hook and Charles Wood supplying the landscapes and Calvert doing the animals or portraits. Sally Mitchell writes of him that: “His work is of a high standard, his horses well drawn, his composition is good and his detail of items such as saddlery is accurate…” J C Wood writes: “This fine Manchester artist produced robust work of quality…”