“Stop and admire this large-scale painting that vividly captures a royal buckhound hunt, showcasing the intricate details of the participants, their horses, and the many hounds involved in this elaborate 19th-century spectacle.”
This large canvas brings us right into the heart of a royal hunt, capturing the grandeur and tradition of Her Majesty's Buckhounds. The scene unfolds with a vibrant energy, centered around the Earl of Hardwicke and his dedicated huntsmen and whips. Notice the meticulous detail in the hounds themselves, their individual expressions and postures suggesting a moment of anticipation or perhaps a brief pause in the chase. The artist has carefully composed the figures and animals to convey a sense of bustling activity, yet also a controlled elegance befitting a royal spectacle. The landscape, though a backdrop, feels expansive and authentic, grounding the event in a specific, natural setting. This painting offers a window into the elaborate rituals of 19th-century aristocratic life and the specialized roles within such an event, from the distinguished Earl to the working dogs.
- Artist
- William Henry Hopkins
- Date
- 1875
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Royal Collection
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
The Earl of Hardwicke, prominent in the center, on horseback.
The distinctive uniforms of the huntsmen and whips.
The sheer number and variety of the buckhounds.
The detailed bridle and saddle on the Earl's horse.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through Her Majesty's Buckhounds with the Earl of Hardwicke, Huntsmen and Whips — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
William Henry Hopkins
1825–1892 · United Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandWilliam Henry Fox Talbot, a British polymath, pioneered photography, inventing the salted paper print and the calotype process.
Further Works by Hopkins
Thomas Portman with Guy Mannering and Ghillie Callum
1863 · Royal Collection
Haymaking at Kings Weston
1860 · Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
Weston Sands
1864 · Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
At the Starting Gate
1892 · Weston Park
Boy with a Hoop and a Dog Chasing a Butterfly
Maidstone Museum and Bentlif Art Gallery
At the Foot of Addington Hills, Croydon, Surrey
1894 · Museum of Croydon
'When first I saw sweet Peggy': Irish peasants going to market
More works to explore
Beyond Hopkins: works from the same years.
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Cart with Red and White Ox
Vincent van Gogh · 1884 · Kröller-Müller Museum
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Chariot Race
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1876 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Paris Street; Rainy Day
Kawabata Gyokushō · 1877 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884
Okada Saburosuke · 1884 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Backgammon Players
Philip Webb · 1861 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Henri Degas and His Niece Lucie Degas (The Artist's Uncle and Cousin)
Edgar Degas · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Fishermen (Fantastic Scene)
Paul Cézanne · 1875 · Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Seine at Pont de Grenelle
Paul Gauguin · 1875 · Wallraf–Richartz Museum
Same era · 1860s–1890s
The Seine at Port-Marly, Piles of Sand
Alfred Sisley · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Woman at the Piano
Pierre-Auguste Renoir · 1875 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1860s–1890s
Woman with a Parasol – Madame Monet and Her Son
Claude Monet · 1875 · National Gallery of Art
Same era · 1860s–1890s
An Alpine Scene
Gustave Courbet · 1874 · Art Institute of Chicago