Lot Essay
Munnings's portrait of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales on 'Forest Witch' was presented by The Field to His Royal Highness and exhibited at London, Royal Academy, 1921 as no.557a.
In his autobiography (loc. cit.) Munnings comments on the oak tree which dominates the compostion: 'I made too much of an ancient oak on the right. Every old oak in this region had been looked at, and at last a gnarled specimen, centuries old, standing near the road in Mistley Park, was chosen. As a hoary oak, nothing could compare with it. From a careful study I put it on the right of the picture, thinking, 'Future King - British Oak', and all the rest of it'.
In his autobiography (loc. cit.) Munnings comments on the oak tree which dominates the compostion: 'I made too much of an ancient oak on the right. Every old oak in this region had been looked at, and at last a gnarled specimen, centuries old, standing near the road in Mistley Park, was chosen. As a hoary oak, nothing could compare with it. From a careful study I put it on the right of the picture, thinking, 'Future King - British Oak', and all the rest of it'.