Lionel Edwards

Lionel Edwards was specialized in paintings about riding and hunting scenes, as well as horse racing, fishing, shooting and other scenes of aristocratic country life in Great Britain for popular society magazines. He studied art in London at the School of Animal Painting, among others. In World War I, Edwards served in the cavalry and then drew for Punch and other publications. Over his life he wrote almost 30 books about hunting and illustrated many more. His father died when he was only seven and left Edwards with a deep love of enthusiastic fox hunting.

Edwards submitted three watercolors in his first participation in the art contests in 1928. In 1929 he published his Scottish Sketchbook. For this, he used a watercolor with anglers, possibly Fishing, Scotland. Leaping the fence - an Irish point-to-point (pencil, watercolor and gouache, 25,3 x 27,4 cm) could be another one of the three. Point-to-points are cross-country horse races over fences that are especially popular in Ireland. The Fernie is a traditional hunt in Leicestershire, named after Charles Fernie, who held the post of Master for 31 years. There is a number of pictures of this hunt from this period. Reduced prints were made from originals, some of which were signed by the artist.

Edwards’ works from the 1932 art competitions could both be identified. The end of 40 minutes also shows a scene from the Fernie Hunt (51 x 76 cm). Reduced prints of the original also exist. The artist painted a whole series of the Devon and Somerset Staghounds. One painting of the series dated 1930 bears the subtitle The signal to the pack (oil on canvas, 51 x 62 cm). Of the works submitted in 1948, Buck Hunting is shown in the catalog. Edwards created several paintings for the Burghley family, which have their place in the family gallery. Probably, the submitted work was Lord Burghley out Riding to Hounds, a watercolor with gouache (36.8 cm x 76.8 cm), dated 1938. Lord Burghley went out hunting all his life leading several packs of hounds.