Victorian Oil Painting The Death The Berkeley Hunt c1880 By Charles Faulkner





Click images to enlarge



Description


C1880 Charles Faulkner The Berkeley Hunt Death Victorian Fox Hunting Oil

Charles Faulkner British, Recorded as Active c.1874–1900



Highlights

• Signed late Victorian sporting oil painting by Charles Faulkner.

• Depicts The Death, the concluding scene in a traditional English foxhunt.

• Associated with the historic Berkeley Hunt of Gloucestershire.

• Number four of a four-painting hunting series.

• Expressive portrayal of mounted huntsmen and an animated pack of hounds.

• Painted in a restrained Victorian palette of greys, umbers and muted greens.

• Previously handled by a Gloucestershire art and antiques dealer and Harriet Wynter of Brighton.

• Privately loaned for exhibition at the Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire, in 2025.

• Recently presented in a decorative Larson-Juhl frame.

• Fitted with AR70 low-reflection, UV-protective glass.

• Ready to hang and display.

Introduction

A compelling signed Victorian sporting oil painting by Charles Faulkner, dating from circa 1880 and depicting The Death, the traditional concluding stage of an English foxhunt.

The composition forms the fourth and final work in a related series of four Berkeley Hunt paintings. The other three scenes are available to purchase separately. Please contact us if you are interested in acquiring the complete four-painting series.

Executed in oil on board, the painting captures the climactic conclusion of the hunt through a tightly organised arrangement of horses, riders and hounds. Faulkner conveys movement and collective energy while retaining the crisp detail and subdued rural atmosphere associated with late 19th-century British sporting art.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Charles Faulkner

Artist’s Dates: British, recorded as active circa 1874–1900

Title: The Death, The Berkeley Hunt

Date: Circa 1880

Period: Late Victorian

Medium: Oil on board

Subject: English foxhunting and equestrian sporting art

Series: Number four of four

Signature: Signed “C. Faulkner”

Frame: Recently fitted decorative Larson-Juhl moulding

Glazing: AR70 low-reflection, UV-protective glass

Presentation: Framed and ready to hang

Catalogue Note

Faulkner organises the scene around a forceful diagonal progression, carrying the viewer towards the final moment of the hunt.

The horses are angled to suggest momentum, their bodies described through controlled overlapping strokes that articulate muscular structure and directional movement. The hounds gather in coordinated action, their curved forms and repeated rhythms unifying the foreground.

The surrounding landscape is treated more softly. Layered greys, muted greens and earthy umbers establish spatial depth while preserving the visual dominance of the central sporting narrative. The cool, overcast atmosphere is particularly suited to the Gloucestershire countryside traditionally associated with the Berkeley Hunt.

The board support provides a firm, smooth surface that allowed the artist to maintain close control over the smaller figures, equestrian details and individual hounds.

The Berkeley Hunt Series

This painting is number four in a narrative cycle illustrating successive stages of a traditional hunt:



The Meet



View Halloo



Full Cry



The Death



The present work provides the concluding chapter of the series. Each painting is offered separately, allowing collectors to acquire an individual scene or assemble the complete four-part sequence.

Please contact us if you wish to discuss purchasing all four works together.

The Artist

Charles Faulkner was a British Victorian painter associated with equestrian, hunting and countryside subjects and is recorded as active between approximately 1874 and 1900.

Published biographical information concerning the artist remains limited. His known sporting paintings nevertheless reveal a consistent interest in horses, hounds, hunt customs and narrative movement.

Characteristic features of his work include compact yet active compositions, close observation of equine and canine anatomy, restrained earth-toned palettes and atmospheric rural settings.

The painting bears the signature “C. Faulkner” and is catalogued under Charles Faulkner on the basis of that signature, its period character and its relationship with the accompanying signed hunting series.

Signature

Signed “C. Faulkner”.

The visible signature supports the present artist identification and links the painting with the other works forming the four-part hunting cycle.

The Berkeley Hunt

The Berkeley Hunt is associated with the Gloucestershire countryside surrounding Berkeley Castle. Hounds were historically maintained by the Berkeley family for centuries, with foxhunting becoming established during the 18th century.

The hunt developed into an important part of the sporting and social culture of the region. Its horses, hounds, riders and landscape provided natural subjects for Victorian sporting painters.

The present series is traditionally identified with the Berkeley Hunt and records the ceremonial progression of a day’s hunting from assembly to conclusion.

Frame

Recently reframed in a decorative Larson-Juhl moulding that complements the late Victorian sporting subject.

The painting is protected by AR70 low-reflection glass, helping to reduce distracting reflections while providing UV protection for the painted surface.

The presentation allows the subtle greys, browns and greens of the composition to be viewed with improved clarity. The painting is supplied ready to hang.

Provenance

Gloucestershire art and antiques dealer.

Harriet Wynter, Interior Decorations and Antiques, Brighton.

Private collection.

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Privately loaned for exhibition at the Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire, 2025.

Dimensions

Framed Width: 41 cm or 16.1 inches

Framed Height: 26.5 cm or 10.4 inches

Framed Depth: 4 cm or 1.6 inches

All dimensions are approximate.

Condition Report

Presented in good antique condition for a painting dating from circa 1880.

The painted surface displays fine natural micro-craquelure, scattered foxing-like brown spotting or staining within the sky, minor surface marks and very small areas of paint loss. These features are consistent with the painting’s age, materials and previous history.

The varnish has an even appearance with a balanced sheen. The original board support remains flat, secure and free from notable warping.

The recently fitted Larson-Juhl frame is in very good condition, with only minimal handling marks where present. The AR70 glazing is clean and provides clear low-reflection viewing.

The painting is stable, well presented and ready to hang.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition report.



Reserve: $4,320.00

Shipping:

Domestic: Shipping rates are determined by destination

International: Foreign shipping rates are determined by destination. International shipping may be subject to VAT.

Combined shipping: Please ask about combined shipping for multiple lots before bidding.

Location: This item ships from United Kingdom

Your purchase is protected:
In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Jasper52 specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Jasper52 within 5 days of receiving the item.