While most of the some 900 Clumber drawings available for the present collection are anonymous, there are 177 identified artists from Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, UK, and US, dating from c. 1328 to present.

How many would be available for a better-known breed!  

Ricky Adams (CSCA)

Edward Aistrop (English, fl. 1880-1920)

Richard Ansdell (English, 1815-1885)

Baker (English, fl. 1879-1900)

Charles Burton Barber (English, 1845-1894)

(John) Wright Barker (English, 1864-1941)

Arthur J. Batt (English, 1846-1911)

Jean-Pierre Beck (French, CSCA)

Peter Biegel (English, 1913-1988)

R(euben) Ward Binks (English, 1880-1950)

Edward Bird (English, 1772-1819)

Karen Blatt (contemporary)

Thomas Blinks (English, 1853-1910))

Madeline Boucher (American, contemporary)

Linda M. Budge (American, contemporary)

Meriel Burden (English, contemporary)

Kelly Burton (American, contemporary)

Robbie Carnegie (Australian, contemporary)

Henry Bernard Chalon (English, 1770-1849)

Leo Chambers (English, 19^th century)

Lilian Cheviot (English, 1876-1936)

Alfred Herbert Chidley (American, 1907-1998)

Nandi Cloke (English, fl. 1971-72)

Daniel Clowes (English, fl. c. 1790)

Bert Cobb (American, 1869-1936))

Sandra Coen (American, contemporary)

Claudia Coleman (American, contemporary)

Abraham Cooper (English, 1787-1868)

Edwin W. Cooper (English, 1785-1833)

Horatio Henry Couldery (English, 1832-1918)

Marjorie Cox (English, 1915-2003)

Lucas Cranach (German, 1472-1553)

Henry Crowther (English, fl. 1905-1939)

Judy Darling (Canadian, contemporary)

Frederick Thomas Daws (English, b. 1878)

Kathleen Detrano (CSCA)

Gene Dieckhoner (American, contemporary)

M.G. Dougherty (fl. 1901)

P. Downer (American, fl. 1990)

Connie Drake (CSCA)

Nora Drummond (English, 1862-1949)

Lainey Duffy (American, contemporary)

Joan Eagle (American, 1924-2006)

(Alice) Maud Earl (English, 1863-1943)

George Earl (English, 1824-1908)

Thomas Earl (English, fl. 1836-1855)

E. Earle (19^th century)

Leigh Ehrenkrantz (American, fl. 1996-1997)

Eilanden (English, contemporary)

Kristine Ellman (American, contemporary)

John Emms (English, 1841-1912)

Gill Evans (English, contemporary)

John Ferneley (English, 1782-1860)

Audrey Fournier (American, contemporary)

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732-1806)

Chris Franey  (American, contemporary)

Greta Frank (American, fl. 2005)

Frank Pierce French (American, 1850-1933)

Louis Agassiz Fuertes (American, 1874-1927)

Alice Furlong (American, contemporary)

Rae Furness (English, died 1993)

Thomas Gainsborough (English, 1727-1788)

Joy Glasspool (English, contemporary)

George Bouverie Goddard (English, 1832-1886) 

Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828)

Colin W. Graeme (English, 1858-1910)

Monica F. Gray (English, fl. 1898-1919)

Elizabeth Halstead (English, contemporary)

Charles Hancock (English, 1795-1868) 

Thomas Hardy (English, 1757-1805)

Glenda S. Harlan (American, contemporary)

June Harrah (American, 1910-1997)

Eileen Heiple (CSCA)

Micheal Herring (American, contemporary)

Tom Heywood (English, 1846-1919)

Cindy Hicks (American, contemporary)

Gunilla Hising-Bohm (Swedish, contemporary)

Frances Mabel Hollams (1877-1963)

Carol Holland (Australian, contemporary)

Maggie Humphrey (fl. 2013)

Sandi F. Hutchins (American, fl. 1978)

William Hutchinson (English, fl. 1869)

Benedict A. Hyland (English, 1829-1892)

Jan Irving (Australian, CSCA)

C. Alan Jachinski (American, contemporary)

Jacqueline

David Johnson (American, 1827-1908)

Lonie Johnson Jones (English, born 1856)

Paul Jones (English, fl. 1856-1888)

Richard Jones (English, 1782-1840)

Samuel John Egbert Jones (English, 1797-1861)

Barbara Keith (American, contemporary)

Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl (German/English, 1823-1871)

Gace de La Bigne (French, c. 1328-1380)

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (English, 1802-1873) 

George Henry Laporte (English, 1799-1873)

Gabriele Laubinger (German, 1962-  )

D. Lepinière (fl. 1775)

B.J. Lewis (American, contemporary)

Federico de Madrazo (Spanish, 1815-1894) 

P. Mahler (German, fl. 1897-1931)

Ann Marion (CSCA, died 1978)

Ian Mason (English, contemporary)

Robert J. May (English, 1905-1976)

Ruth Howard Maystead (American, contemporary)

Edwin Megargee (American, 1883-1958)

Caroline Saint-John Mildmay (English, 1800-1894)

Edward Herbert Miner (American, 1882-?)

Richard Hewitt Moore (English, fl. 1880-1900)

George Charles Morland (English, 1763-1826)

Polly Morten (British, contemporary)

Steven Nesbitt (English, contemporary)

William Nicholls (English, fl. 1807)

John Edwin Noble (English, 1876-1941)

Ros A. Oldfield (English, contemporary)

Bridget Olerenshaw (fl. 1963)

R. A. Olga

Peggy O’Neal

Edmund Henry Osthaus (German-American, 1858-1928)

George Paice (English, 1854-1925)

Frank Paton (English, 1856-1909)

Pat Pencak (American, contemporary)

Thomas Phillips (English, 1770-1845)

Pollyanna Pickering (English, contemporary)

Sir George Pirie (English, 1863-1946)

David Player (English, contemporary)

Alexander Pope, Jr. (American, 1849-1924)

J. B. Pratt (English, 19^th century)

Peggy Presnall (American, contemporary)

Frank Prosser (English, 1895-1950)

Ewe Psaris (Swedish, contemporary)

Judi Kent Pyrah (British, contemporary)

J. Quinton (English, fl. 1893)

Peggy (Pommy) Randall (Australian, b. 1959)

Patricia Ray (American, contemporary)

Philip Reinagle (Hungarian/Scottish, 1749-1833)

Ramsay Richard Reinagle (English, 1775-1862)

Roberta

William R. Robinson (English, fl. 1843)

Coral Rose (English, contemporary)

Ray Russell (English, fl. 1972)

Pat Saunders-White (fl. 2012)

Shelly

Tammy Shelton (American, contemporary)

Mike Sibley (English, contemporary)

Karen Silton

James Skerrett (English, 1954-  )

Art Smith (American, 1926-  )

Robert Smith

Stephen A. Smith (American, 1918-1994)

Isaac Snowman (English, 1874-1947)

Lyn St. Claire (American, contemporary)

G(eorge) Vernon Stokes (English, 1873-1954)

Julie Stooks (English, fl. 2006)

Karen Stott (American, contemporary)

Philip Eustace Stretton (English, 1865-1919)

George Stubbs (English, 1724-1806)

Carl Suhrlandt (German, 1828-1919)

Dennis Sullivan

Pippa Thew (English, contemporary)

Jane Tolth (English, contemporary)

Elizabeth Harvey Treharne (American, 1918-2002)

John Trickett (English, 1953-  )

William E. Turner (English, c. 1820-1885)

Paul de Vos (Dutch, fl. 1630)

B. Walker (American, contemporary)

Maxine Wall (American, contemporary)

William Ward (English, 1769-1823)

Arthur Wardle (English, 1864-1949)

Evelyn Mary Watherston (English, 18880-1952)

Maud West Watson (English, fl. early 20^th century)

Walter A. Weber (American, 1906-1979)

Francis Wheatley (English, 1747-1801)

Henry Wilkinson (English, 1921-2011)

Andie Peck Wolf (Chilean, 1900-1979)

John Wootton (English, 1682-1764)

Frederic E. Wright (American, fl. 1910)

George Wright (English, 1860-1942)

Diane Wynen (Canadian, contemporary)

JOHN EMMS (English, 21 April 1841 - 1 Nov. 1912)

One of the first things notable about Emms is his prodigious output.  He was so prolific that he exhibited some 290 works at the Royal Academy, while twelve or fifteen considered an accomplishment.  Most accounts begin with his fame in depicting horses, only later mentioning his ability to portray Foxhounds and Terriers, with even less concerning Spaniels.  Yet in the present collection we present thirty-four of his paintings of Clumber Spaniels, and there could well be more in private collections. 

 

Several are titled “Clumbers at Clumber Park,” commissioned by the very ‘doggy’ 7^th Duchess of Newcastle.  Some have a throwaway title, if any, such as “Today’s Bag,” “Spaniels Resting,” ”Awaiting Master,” “On Guard,” and which could well have been added only later.  All probably date from the 1880’s. 

 

The usual custom was for the artist to be provided a place to paint on the estate of the person commissioning the work, lodged and eating with staff.  Sketches would first be made of individual dogs brought in, then the final work assembled.  Paintings would have to be just as the patron required, otherwise the artist was not paid.    

 

Noted for his bohemian lifestyle, Emms cut a flamboyant figure,  recognizable by his long black cloak and wide-brimmed black hat.  An avid hunter with a highly convivial personality, he received many commissions from contacts made in the field. 

 

He married relatively late in life but continued to ‘live life to the fullest.’  Upon being paid a handsome sum for a painting, with his wife and four children he would go to London, stay in a grand hotel, and spend lavishly.  At about age 60 he suffered a stroke but continued to paint.  Finally when unable to paint, he took to heavy drinking and was reduced to bartering sketches and even old paintings to pay for accumulated bar bills at the local pub.  Today his paintings are usually appraised at between $80,000 and $120,000, with a few selling for far more.

 

For many Clumber lovers his greatest talent was the ability to depict an individual personality for each individual Clumber.  Each head is distinct, each expression distinct, each character distinct.  Most canine artists can credibly portray a dog’s breed, but otherwise there is too often an overlying sameness.  With Emms one can never mistake one Clumber for another, and by far not just by coat markings. 

 

Emms worked mainly in oil, after making individual preliminary sketches leading to the overall composition.  His fluid, vigorous brushstrokes and heavy use of layering rich color over color enabled him to capture the anatomy and characteristic stance of his subjects in a style making him instantly recognizable from other canine artists of the period.  With a limited palette he used especially a mixture of browns and ochres.  No prints of his work were published during his life nor did he illustrate any books, both traditional ways to gain wider fame and some fortune.  In recent times, however, James Darley (Venaticus) and others have made commercial reproductions of his work widely available.

John Emms.pdf

Emmspdf.pdf