The Meet, Berkeley Hunt – Victorian Sporting Oil by Charles Faulkner
Charles Faulkner (British, Active c.1874–1900) The Meet (The Berkeley Hunt), c.1880
Signed Victorian Sporting Oil Painting Depicting the Ceremonial Gathering Before the Hunt
Highlights
• Original late Victorian sporting oil painting dating from approximately 1880.
• Signed “C. Faulkner” at the lower right.
• Depicts “The Meet”, the ceremonial gathering preceding the day’s hunt.
• Set within the landscape traditionally associated with the Berkeley Hunt in Gloucestershire.
• Finely observed horses, huntsmen, hounds and traditional hunting attire.
• Atmospheric winter landscape with bare trees, hedgerows and an overcast sky.
• No. 1 in a coordinated series of four Berkeley Hunt paintings.
• Exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire, in 2025.
• Recently presented in a decorative Larson-Juhl frame.
• Protected by AR70 low-reflection conservation glass with UV protection.
Introduction
A refined late Victorian sporting oil painting by the British artist Charles Faulkner, depicting the quiet ceremony and anticipation of a traditional English hunting meet.
Entitled The Meet (The Berkeley Hunt), the composition shows mounted huntsmen gathering with their hounds at the beginning of the day’s pursuit. Riders in traditional scarlet coats pause in conversation and prepare their horses, while the hounds and hunt staff assemble in the middle distance.
Unlike the energetic chase scenes that follow, this opening painting is characterised by discipline, etiquette and restrained expectation. Faulkner presents the moment immediately before the hunt begins, when riders, horses and hounds gather in formal readiness beneath a broad winter sky.
This work forms No. 1 of a coordinated series of four paintings illustrating successive stages of the Berkeley Hunt. The remaining three paintings are available to purchase separately. Enquiries regarding the acquisition of the complete series are welcomed.
Catalogue Details
Artist: Charles Faulkner
Nationality: British
Artist’s dates: Active c.1874–1900
Title: The Meet (The Berkeley Hunt)
Date: Circa 1880
Period: Late Victorian
Medium: Oil on board
Subject: Equestrian, sporting and fox-hunting scene
Hunt represented: The Berkeley Hunt, Gloucestershire
Signature: Signed “C. Faulkner” lower right
Series: No. 1 of four related Berkeley Hunt paintings
Frame: Recently fitted decorative Larson-Juhl moulded frame
Glazing: AR70 low-reflection conservation glass with UV protection
Presentation: Framed and ready for display
Catalogue Note
“The Meet” traditionally marks the formal beginning of the hunting day, when riders, hunt staff and hounds gather before moving into the countryside.
Faulkner constructs the scene as a disciplined prelude to the action represented in the remaining paintings from the series. Huntsmen in scarlet coats assemble in calm formation, some pausing in conversation while others attend to their horses and equipment.
In the middle distance, a group of hounds and hunt staff waits alertly. Their pale coats catch the subdued morning light and provide a visual contrast with the darker horses, winter vegetation and rich scarlet jackets of the mounted field.
The rigid surface of the board allows Faulkner to employ crisp contours and controlled detailing. Fine brushwork defines the horses’ musculature, riders’ clothing, bridles and tack, while quicker touches articulate the clustered hounds.
The surrounding landscape is treated more broadly. Bare trees, winter hedgerows and rolling pasture are rendered in deep browns, muted umbers and earthy greens, evoking the restrained colours of the late-season countryside.
Above the gathering, a broad overcast sky unfolds through short strokes of cool grey and silver-blue. Its subtle movement introduces atmosphere while preserving the calm, ceremonial character of the scene.
The contrast between the warm scarlet coats and the subdued landscape produces a balanced Victorian palette. Lightly worked passages and softened transitions unite the figures with the surrounding countryside, creating a convincing sense of depth and open space.
The Berkeley Hunt is among the most historically celebrated names in English sporting tradition, with longstanding associations with the Berkeley family and the Gloucestershire countryside.
As the opening work in the four-painting series, The Meet establishes the participants and setting before the sighting depicted in View Halloo, the fast pursuit of Full Cry and the concluding episode represented by The Death.
The Artist
Charles Faulkner was a British sporting painter active during the final quarter of the 19th century.
His known work concentrates particularly upon horses, hounds, foxhunting and English rural sporting traditions. His paintings are recognised for their animated equestrian and canine subjects, clearly structured narratives and atmospheric countryside settings.
Faulkner was particularly effective when producing sequential hunting scenes. By depicting successive stages of a hunt, he was able to construct a continuous visual narrative across several related paintings.
In The Meet, Faulkner deliberately restrains the movement that characterises the later scenes. The result is an accomplished study of anticipation, ceremony and rural sporting custom.
The painting is signed “C. Faulkner” at the lower right.
Provenance
Gloucestershire art and antiques dealer.
Harriet Wynter, Interior Decorations & Antiques, Brighton.
Private collection.
Privately Loaned & Exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire, 2025.
Subsequently curated and catalogued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Dimensions
Framed:
Width: 41 cm / 16.14 inches
Height: 26.5 cm / 10.43 inches
Depth: 4 cm / 1.57 inches
All dimensions are approximate.
Condition Report
Offered in good, presentable condition consistent with its Victorian age.
The board support remains flat, stable and structurally sound. Fine, natural craquelure is visible across areas of the painted surface, together with scattered foxing-like marks and very minor paint loss within the lower green foreground.
The varnish layer appears evenly preserved. Any remaining surface marks and tonal variation are consistent with the painting’s age and historic character.
The recently fitted decorative Larson-Juhl frame and AR70 low-reflection conservation glass are in excellent condition. The specialist glazing reduces distracting reflections while providing additional UV protection.
The painting presents attractively and is ready to hang.
Please refer closely to the listing photographs, which form an essential part of the condition report.
Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available.
The painting will be professionally packed with the care appropriate for a historic work of art. Fully insured delivery can be arranged throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
Please contact Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® before ordering if you require a specific delivery quotation or wish to enquire about purchasing all four paintings from the series.
Attribution & Research Notice
The historical observations, provenance research, artist identification and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material, museum collection records, auction history and professional experience within the international fine art market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations. The title The Meet (The Berkeley Hunt) is understood to be a descriptive title associated with the work and its place within the four-painting hunting series. It may not represent the painting’s original Victorian exhibition title.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
