James Astbury Hammersley (1815-1869) and George W. Horlor (fl. 1849-1890)

This work is a collaboration between the landscape artist Hammersley and the sporting and animal painter Horlor. Hammersley was Principal of the Manchester School of Design; his landscapes were exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution, and won him the admiration of Prince Albert, who commissioned him in 1848 to paint Rosenau, where he had been born. Horlor, who worked mainly in Cheltenham and Birmingham, also exhibited at the Royal Academy, and is known for his lively animal painting. The circumstances of this collaborative commission are not known, and the subject appears to be unique in the oeuvre of both artists.

This picture was in the collection of Colonel Michael Swinfen Broun, at Swinfen Hall, Lichfield. He commanded a battalion in South Africa and is best remembered as a great benefactor of the local area. The Swinfen Broun Charitable Trust continues to operate today.