19th Century Oil Painting of Reclining Spaniels in Interior Signed by Armfield

Edward Armfield was born in 1817 in the UK and was a prolific and popular artist who specialized in paintings of terriers, ratting and sporting dogs. Terriers had long been used for sports other than fighting and for centuries had been used to control vermin. The Victorian era was the age of pet portraits, with the most important influence on their popularity being Queen Victoria who owned an extensive number of dog breeds including terriers. This created a demand for portraits of dogs and artists such as Armfield flourished. Although he had a large output, Armfield occasionally completed a picture far superior to his other paintings, as in this example here. His style is similar to that of George Armfield (1820–93) to whom he is thought to have been related. Several of his works can be found in museums and art galleries, including the Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum and the Brighton & Hove Museum.