Henry Justice Ford

Henry Justice Ford (British, 1860-1941) Portrait of Richard John Cuninghame (1871-1925), three-quarter length, holding a shotgun signed and dated 'H J Ford/1920' (lower right) oil on canvas 101 x 76cm (39 3/4 x 29 15/16in). A leading big game hunter in British East Africa, Richard John Cuninghame's safari clients included President Theodore Roosevelt and Wilhelm Crown Prince of Sweden. He is depicted here in a manner which reflects his professional pursuits and success, painted after he returned from Africa to live at Hensol. The artist Henry Justice Ford, a friend of Burne-Jones, has employed a tonal palette and loose brushwork to great effect. Please note that Richard John Cuninghame is depicted holding a rifle rather than a shotgun.

Lot 235 Henry Justice Ford (British, 1860-1941) A Stop at the Inn . Signed "H. J. FOR..." l.r., identified on the label on the backing. Oil on canvas, 12 1/8 x 18 in., framed. Condition: Retouch, patch reinforcements, surface grime. N.B. Recognized primarily as an illustrator of fairy tales, Henry Justice Ford also painted in oil, preferring romantic and historical subjects. Estimate $600-800

Henry Justice Ford (British, 1860-1941) A Stop at the Inn. Signed "H. J. FOR..." l.r., identified on the label onthe backing. Oil on canvas, 12 1/8 x 18 in., framed.Condition: Retouch, patch reinforcements, surfacegrime. N.B. Recognized primarily as an illustrator of fairytales, Henry Justice Ford also painted in oil, preferring romantic and historical subjects.

Henry Justice Ford (1860-1941) Venus's Fly Trap signed 'H J Ford' (lower left) and inscribed 'VENUS'S FLY TRAP'(lower centre within the decorated border) and further inscribed'This could be reduced to ... by ... for the cover of the book!'(lower left, in the margin, overmounted) pencil and watercolour heightened with bodycolour on paper 15¾ x 12 5/8 in. (41.3 x 32.1 cm.) Exhibited Springfield, 1988, no. 18. Springfield, 1993. Lot Notes Ford was educated at Repton and acquired a First Class degree inClassics from Cambridge before entering the Slade to study art. Healso attended Herkomer's art school at Bushey. Between 1892 and1930 he exhibited at the Royal Academy, though he is most highlyregarded as an illustrator, particularly of the books of legendsand fairy stories which Andrew and Leonora Lang edited for Longmansfrom 1899. He was an associate of Burne-Jones, whose influence onhis work is evident.

Henry Justice Ford (1860-1941) 'Skipper makes friends with the dragon' signed and dated 'H.J.FORD 1913' (lower right) and inscribed 'Skipper makes friends with the Dragon.' (lower centre) pencil, pen and black ink 9½ x 14½ in. (24 x 37 cm.) Lot Notes The present drawing is thought to be an illustration to The Fairy Blacknose, which may be related to Andrew Lang's fairy tales, the long series of little books illustrated by Ford that a generation of Edwardians grew up on. Having studied under Sir Hubert von Herkomer at the Bushey School (see lot 21), Ford was also strongly influenced by his friend Edward Burne-Jones. He focused on legend and folklore as his subject matter, producing his pictures with clear, assured pen work. His black and white work, as seen in the present drawing, is similar to Walter Crane and owes a great deal to Moxton's versions of Tennyson, published in the mid-1800s.