Richard Ansdell

Richard Ansdell painted animals, especially working animals: gun dogs, sheep, cattle, horses and Highland stags. His pictures are full of sporting and country life, with dogs guarding the game bag or shepherds moving their flocks, painted with close attention to coat, muscle and movement.

He was born in Liverpool in 1815 and started as a portrait painter’s assistant before studying at the Liverpool Academy. He first showed at the Royal Academy in 1840 and exhibited nearly 150 canvases there over his career, becoming a full Academician in 1870. He moved to Kensington in 1847 and kept a summer house at Lytham. Known works include The Stag at Bay and The Fight for the Standard. The Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and the Harris Museum in Preston hold his paintings.

In A Family of Gordon Setters, look at how each dog has its own character and pose.