Born in Northumberland in 1848, he studied at Newcastle School of Art and, later, in the studio of J. D. Watson. Queen Victoria commissioned him to paint a picture of her arrival at St. Paul's for the Diamond Jubilee, called God Save the Queen which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1899. An artist who favored military scenes and portraits as well as sporting scenes, he was particularly renowned for his large equestrian portraits which were executed in a powerful and free style and were often painted on a large scale.