Herbert St John Jones (1872-1939) British, 1908 Oil on Canvas. An image of a horse and hounds. Title: "The North Stafford Hunt: Gambler, Warble & Sailor." Signed and dated lower right. Inscribed with title and "The Property of Colonel W.W. Dobson, M.F.H. on reverse. Informative tag with more information attached to top of frame on back. 

Condition: Commensurate with age. 

Overall: 49 X 37 in. 

Sight: 39 X 27 in. 

#3859 . 

Herbert St John Jones was born in 1872 in Shrewsbury in Britain. The family moved to Nantwich, Cheshire when he was a young child, and he lived there until his death in 1939. He was best known as an animal painter, and was inspired by the local huntsmen, learning the details of the horses and hounds with such precision that many of his later portraits were executed from memory at his studio on Hospital Street. He was commissioned by many aristocratic clients to paint portraits of horses and dogs and his client list included the Duke and Duchess of Westminster. The artist was a familiar sight on the streets of Nantwich and often painted pictures for local shopkeepers in lieu of unpaid bills. Several such pictures decorated the walls of Herbert’s neighbor, the wine and spirit merchants G.F. & A. Brown, and after the business closed the paintings were moved to a pub in Runcorn where they still can be seen. Although Herbert’s most common subjects were hunters, he also painted many other types of animals, and different breeds of horses as well as hounds, meets, dogs, and cattle. Later in life he painted so many signs for local inns that the bulk of Nantwich bore his trademark style. Today, his work is in many public and private collections, including the Nantwich Museum. King Edward VII owned one of Herbert’s paintings of an Ayrshire bull, and Herbert kept a list of commissions and copies of letters of thanks, which has been invaluable to collectors trying to find his work.

Commensurate with age.