CECIL ALDIN (1870 – 1935)

Cecil Aldin was perhaps one of the most versatile of that talented group of sporting artists at work in the early decades of the twentieth century which included Alfred Munnings, Lionel Edwards, Gilbert Holiday, G D Armour, and "Snaffles". Encouraged by his father, a keen amateur artist, Aldin began sketching at an early age and was enrolled in the National Art Training School (later the Royal College of Art). He was much influenced by Frank Calderon, an inspired teacher who had started a summer school for animal aritsts in Sussex and who was later to teach Munnings and Edwards. Aldin painted and drew dogs and horses throughout his life, but he able to portray not only the hunting field, but also racing, coaching, coursing, shooting and even golf and cricket.

It was, however, in the hunting field that Aldin found some of his finest subjects. His hunting prints, both of actual hunts and fanciful, often comic, sporting scenes have always been immensely popular. He was a prolific illustrator and there can be few sportsmen who have not possessed one of his books, or a reproduction of his work.