Memoriam – John King HSEA

Biography

John King HSEA (A Founder member of the SEA)

Sadly no longer with us, John King was born at West Tytherley near Salisbury and lived there all his life. It was due to the influence of Lionel Edwards, a close neighbour and family friend, that he became a fulltime artist. Having always hunted and participated in point-to-point, he specialised in all equestrian and field sports, portraits, family groups, military and ceremonial and (recently) more bronzes. Hunting and commissions took him all over the UK, Ireland, Europe, USA, South Africa and the Middle East.

He also painted landscapes and architecture in France, Spain and Italy. Many of his hunting works (and others) have been reproduced as limited edition prints. He has did illustrations for the ‘Illustrated London News’ and ‘Horse and Hound’, and also illustrated books by Michael Clayton, Jim Meads, Robin Page and others. During his life he had 10 one-man exhibitions and many shared exhibitions in London from 1966 on. He exhibited with the Royal Institute, the Society of Wildlife Artists, and was a founder member of the Society of Equestrian Artists.

In 2000 he was commissioned by Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to paint a picture of his famous racehorse Dubai Millenium. The picture is 16ft by 8ft, and is now hanging in Dubai – it is believed to be the largest equestrian picture to have been painted in the Uk in the last 200 years.

John’s patrons included the Duke of Beaufort, the late Duke of Northumberland, The Royal Bodyguard, Household Cavalry, Livery Companies and Tattersalls, to name but a few.