A wonderful scene of a hunting meet outside an inn by Edward Benjamin Herberte. A large group of hunters are shown horseback outside the Fox & Hounds inn as others look on. Meanwhile, a pack of fox hounds can be seen in the midst of the assembly waiting to be sent out.

Edward Benjamin Herberte was born Egbert Bertram Herberte in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in 1830. He was the son of an artist, also named Egbert Bertram Herberte and initially worked as a theatrical artist. It is not certain how or when he became known as Edward Benjamin Herberte, but this may have been a pseudonym he adopted to avoid confusion with his father.

Around 1861, he was living in Wolverhampton, but later moved to Greenwich, London. After experiencing financial difficulties around 1866, he began earning his living as an artist painting hunting and sporting scenes and would often travel around. He won several commissions from local hunts including a number by the North Warwickshire Hunt, several of which are of views in Kenilworth.

During the mid-19th century, the introduction of improved saddles enabled women to ride across country and over fences more securely and he was one of the first artists to depict this. In addition to his sporting scenes, he also painted a number of coaching scenes. He died at Prestwich, Lancashire in 1896.

Examples of his work are held by the Berkswell Village Museum, the National Trust, Lanhydrock and Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.

© Benton Fine Art