John King or John Gregory King (16 April 1929 – 8 September 2014) was an English

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, considered a leading sporting artist of the post war era. His works stretched from military and ceremonial occasions, to horse and hound portraits, and hunting scenes.

Early life

King was born in

West Tytherley West Tytherley is a village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. Its nearest town is Stockbridge, which lies approximately 6 miles (10 km) north-east from the village, although its post town is Salisbury. The ...

in Hampshire to Arthur Gregory King and Dorothy (née Greenman). They ran a farm on which John would occasionally work as he was growing up. It is said King showed an aptitude for drawing from a young age, sketching the horses on which he learned to ride and hunt. He was educated at

Canford School Canford School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school for pupils aged 13–18). Situated in 300 acres of parkland near to the market town of Wimborne Minster in Dorset, south west England, it is one of the largest sch ...

in Dorset, and, with the encouragement of artist

Lionel Edwards Lionel Edwards (9 November 1878 – 13 April 1966) was a British artist who specialised in painting horses and other aspects of British country life. He is best known for his hunting scenes but also painted pictures of horse racing, shootin ...

, a family friend, went on to study at

Salisbury College of Art Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

. King worked in water colours, oil, and pencil. He was also known to sculpt.

Career

King rose to fame for his illustrations for the ‘ Illustrated London News’ and ‘

Horse and Hound ''Horse & Hound'' is the oldest equestrian weekly magazine of the United Kingdom. Its first edition was published in 1884. The magazine contains horse industry news, reports from equestrian events, veterinary advice about caring for horses, and h ...

’ Magazine. He often worked with former Horse and Hound Editor Michael Clayton, producing illustrations for Michael's weekly column “Foxford’s Hunting Diary”. In 1984 Clayton and King produced a book titled "The Golden Thread" which had illustrations of many hunts across the UK. King also illustrated books by Jim Meads, Robin Page and many others. King became a founding member of the Society of Equestrian Artists. He became known for the quote that hunting scenes are “90 per cent landscape”

High-profile work and patrons

In later life King went on to exhibit with both the Royal Institute and the Society of Wildlife Artists. From 1966 onward he held at least ten 'one man exhibits' and many shared exhibits. His magnum opus was a commission for Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, Vice-President of the UAE and Emir of Dubai, which comprised a 16 ft by 8 ft painting of ' Dubai Millennium', the Sheikh's racehorse and winner of the

Queen Elizabeth II Stakes The Queen Elizabeth II Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is s ...

. The painting was considered to be the largest equestrian painting produced in the UK for at least 200 years. Other high-profile patrons included the Dukes of Beaufort and Northumberland, Household Cavalry, City of London Livery Companies and Tattersalls bloodstock auctioneers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:King, John 1929 births 2014 deaths English painters Equine artists