Description
Subject & Medium
A handsome and characterful Victorian English sporting oil painting titled “Game Dogs”, by the listed British artist Robert Cleminson (1864–1903). The work depicts a classic late 19th-century sporting hunting scene with two game dogs guarding the day’s quarry in a Highland landscape. Executed in oil on canvas laid on board, it dates to the late 19th century circa 1890 and is exactly the sort of subject that appeals to collectors of sporting art, dog paintings and traditional country house décor.
Composition & Technique
The scene is set in a Scottish Highland landscape beneath a soft, atmospheric sky, with distant mountains providing depth and drama. Cleminson structures the composition so the viewer’s eye is drawn naturally to the foreground where the two hunting dogs recline and stand upon a patch of lush green grass.
The white and brown dog is shown in near frontal profile, lying peacefully and conveying the contentment and fatigue of a successful day’s shooting. Beside it, the black dog is shown in side profile, more alert, turning its head to the right as if listening for or anticipating the return of its master. This contrast between rest and watchfulness gives the painting narrative interest and a sense of life.
To the right of the dogs stand two substantial stone boulders, anchoring the composition. Resting against them is a large wicker basket, filled with the day’s game birds, their bodies hanging over the rim to show off the success of the hunt. Beyond, the ground rises toward Highland hills and mountains, rendered in muted greens, browns and greys to suggest heather, rock and distance.
Cleminson’s brushwork is confident and varied. The dogs’ coats are described with short, textured strokes that model their anatomy and character. The plumage of the birds is painted with softer, feathery touches, while the grass and earth are built up with layered greens and earth tones to evoke damp, Highland ground. The colour palette is warm yet natural, with rich browns, blacks and whites in the animals offset by the golden tones of the basket and game, and the cooler greens and distant blues of the landscape.
The lighting is gentle and diffused, with subtle highlights on the dogs and basket suggesting late afternoon or early evening light – very characteristic of good Victorian sporting painting. The overall effect is one of confidence, control and fine detail, marking this out as one of Cleminson’s better, more carefully executed works.
About the Artist
Robert Cleminson (1864–1903) was a British painter in oils, best known for his landscapes, Highland game scenes and animal paintings, with a particular emphasis on sporting dogs and game. His work appealed strongly to Victorian patrons who loved field sports, rural life and depictions of their working animals and companions.
He exhibited ten works at the British Institution, a significant exhibiting body founded as a rival to the Royal Academy and housed at Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery in Pall Mall, London. He also exhibited further works at the Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street, another key London exhibiting venue of the 19th century.
Cleminson’s work has remained in steady demand, particularly in the UK and USA. His auction record stands at around $16,470 USD for The Tiger Hunt, sold at Bonhams Knightsbridge in 2018, reflecting the continued appreciation for his stronger works and the wider popularity of high-quality Victorian animal and sporting painting.
Signed
The painting is signed “Robert Cleminson” in the lower left corner. The style and placement of the signature are consistent with other known works by the artist and support the attribution.
Historical Significance
This painting is an excellent example of Victorian British sporting art, a genre that both records and celebrates the culture of field sports, game shooting and country house life. Such works once hung in country houses, shooting lodges, gentlemen’s clubs and smart townhouses, signalling their owners’ tastes, status and connection to the sporting world.
It also stands firmly within the Victorian tradition of animal portraiture, in which dogs were elevated beyond their role as working animals to become admired companions and symbols of loyalty, refinement and sporting prowess. The Highland setting echoes the 19th-century romanticisation of Scotland as a landscape of sport, grandeur and rugged natural beauty.
Today, paintings like this retain their ability to bring a sense of history, tradition and atmosphere into contemporary interiors, combining decorative impact with cultural and social interest.
Framed
The painting is housed in its original gilt wood frame, an important and desirable survival in its own right. The frame is of substantial quality and weight, approximately 8 kg unwrapped, and features rich moulded floral and foliate gesso decoration typical of late Victorian framing.
A front protective glass cover sits over the canvas, which has helped to shield the painted surface from dust and handling over time. The reverse is covered by a board backing, and the frame is fitted with a hanging thread, so the work is ready for immediate display on arrival. The original frame adds significantly to the painting’s period character and presence on the wall.
Dimensions Framed: 56.5 cm in height, 66 cm in width, and about 9 cm in depth.
This is a very good medium-sized statement piece: large enough to command attention on a wall, but still easy to place over a fireplace, sideboard, console table or within a study, library or hallway scheme.
Provenance
As currently known, the provenance of the painting is as follows.
It was originally in a private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in the late 19th or early 20th century. It then passed by descent, or via subsequent owners within the UK, until it was consigned to auction.
The painting appeared at Bamfords Auctioneers & Valuers, Derby, in an Interiors & Collectors sale on 2 December 2020 as lot 1019, and again on 13 January 2021 as lot 196. Auction labels from Bamfords remain affixed to the reverse of the frame.
From Bamfords it was acquired by Cheshire Antiques Consultant , UK, acting as dealer. Between 2021 and 2024 it was then offered by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD via well-known online platforms, including Chairish, Liveauctioneers LoveAntiques, Antiques-Atlas, Ruby Lane, Vinterior, Pamono and others.
Thereafter it was consigned to NY Elizabeth, Beverly Hills, California, and offered in online auctions through LiveAuctioneers during 2023–2024, catalogued as “Game Dogs” Oil Painting, signed Robert Cleminson. Records of these offerings survive via Barnebys and MutualArt.
Following these sales, the painting was returned to or retained by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, and is now currently offered on eBay UK as Victorian Oil Painting Sporting “Game Dogs” Signed Robert Cleminson (1864–1903).
This chain of ownership, supported by labels verso and online sale records, provides a clear and attractive provenance for collectors.
Why You’ll Love It
This painting brings together everything that makes Victorian sporting art so desirable: two beautifully observed game dogs, clearly rendered game birds and a romantic Highland backdrop that instantly evokes the atmosphere of country sport and estate life.
It is by a named, listed artist, Robert Cleminson, with a documented exhibiting history and a proven auction record, giving you the reassurance of both artistic quality and market credibility when adding it to your collection.
The original gilt frame, with its rich moulded decoration and warm gold tones, greatly enhances the overall presence of the work and allows it to sit perfectly in traditional, country house, lodge, library or gentleman’s study interiors.
On the wall it naturally becomes a focal point and conversation piece, drawing the eye and prompting guests to ask about its subject, provenance and history, making it a real talking point in any room.
For lovers of genuine period pieces, it offers that elusive combination of quality, character, subject matter and traceable history that makes 19th-century British art so rewarding to live with and to collect over the long term.
Condition
The painting is offered in overall good used, worn condition, honestly reflecting its age and history. Crucially, the frame is original to the painting, and the presence of a front protective glass cover has helped to shield the canvas and paint surface from further dirt and handling damage over the years.
The frame shows various losses and wear to the gilt finish, including areas of rubbing and loss of gilding on the raised sections. There is cracking and loss to the gesso decoration around the frame, together with visible scuffs, wear and chips, along with repairs and over painting all entirely commensurate with the frame’s age, materials and long life in use.
The canvas displays areas of foxing and staining, which become apparent on closer inspection, and there is some craquelure (fine age-related cracking) in various places across the painted surface. These are normal and often desirable features in a 19th-century oil. To the naked eye, the paint layer appears stable overall, with no obvious large areas of intrusive overpaint or heavy modern restoration visible from a normal viewing distance.
Despite these age-related imperfections, the painting presents very well on the wall, with a rich, authentic antique character. Many collectors actively prefer this honest patina to examples that have been extensively over-restored or stripped of their original frames.
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Reserve: $7,594.00
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In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Chairish Auctions specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Chairish Auctions within 5 days of receiving the item.
Condition
Used
Buyer's Premium
20%
Victorian Oil Painting Sporting "Game Dogs" Signed Robert Cleminson (1864-1903)
Estimate $9,000-$11,000
Starting Price
$3,600
1 bidder is watching this item
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Meet the Auction House
10501
4.5
54350
Sporting, Animal & Equestrian Art Auction
May 07, 2026 5:00 PM EDTNew York, NY, United States
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