A wonderful landscape painting of farmworkers having lunch near a haystack or rick by George Cole. A figure can be seen pouring drinks for three men sat by a hay cart as others look on. Meanwhile, three horses and a dog take their rest whilst chickens forage amongst the grass and fallen straw.

George Cole was born in London in 1810. Little is known about his education but he is believed to have started as an apprentice to a ship's painter in the Royal Navy dockyards at Portsmouth. He was a self-taught artist who initially began painting portraits and animals and for a time worked for Wombwell's menagerie painting posters.

He married Eliza Vicat at Portsea, Hampshire on 6 May 1832 and together the couple had five children. His sons George Vicat Cole (1833-1893) and Alfred Benjamin Cole (1840-1893) also became artists. The family lived in the Portsmouth area residing at Buckland Road, Portsea. Cole soon began specialising in landscape paintings and made his debut at the Society of British Artists in 1838, continuing to exhibit there until his death. By 1849, he was exhibiting at the Royal Academy where he also became a frequent contributor. He achieved considerable success and was able to afford servants and subsequently move his family to 2 Lewis Place in Fulham, London around 1853. Cole was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1850, became auditor in 1856, and vice-president in 1867.

Cole produced many scenes of Hampshire, Berkshire, Surrey and Devon and during the early 1850’s he travelled around the country with his son George Vicat Cole to sketch and paint the river valleys of the Wye, Teign, and Dart. They also went abroad to Europe where they stayed in the Moselle area. By 1871, he had moved to 1 Kensington Crescent, Kensington where he lived for the remainder of his life. He died in Kensington on 7 September, 1883 and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery.

Examples of his paintings are held in many public collections including Blackburn Museum, Brighton & Hove Museum, Bristol Museum, Hastings Museum, Kirklees Museum, Leicester Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, National Trust, Portsmouth Museum, Russell-Cotes Art Gallery, Southampton City Art Gallery, Wednesbury Museum and Worthing Museum.

© Benton Fine Art