John Ferneley

Who was John Ferneley?

John E. Ferneley, was an English painter who specialised in portraying sporting horses and hunting scenes. Although his rendition of horses was stylised, he is regarded as one of the great British equine artists, second perhaps only to George Stubbs.

At first apprenticed until 1801 to his father, who was a master wheelwright, he was encouraged to take up painting by John Manners, 5th Duke of Rutland. Accordingly he moved to London and studied under the sporting artist Benjamin Marshall. While training with Marshall he joined the Royal Academy School. His work was exhibited between 1806 and 1853 at the Royal Academy. He traveled extensively in Ireland from 1806 to 1809, but returned to England to marry, and started working from Melton Mowbray. Here he built his studio and later a house, Elgin Lodge, on the Scalford Rd. Melton Mowbray was fast becoming a watering hole for the sporting fraternity and the place where modern fox-hunting developed in the late eighteenth century. Hugo Meynell, a wealthy local bred his hounds to keep up with the horses and riders in their pursuit over hedges and ditches.