Watercolour By George Anderson Short — The Badsworth Hunt On Foot Yorkshire

Original 1943 Watercolour by George Anderson Short — The Badsworth Hunt on Foot
In the winter of 1943, as Britain endured the fourth year of war, Yorkshire painter George Anderson Short (1856–1945) turned his brush to a subject that spoke of endurance, identity, and community.
His watercolour “The Badsworth Hunt on Foot, Easingwold, Boxing Day Meet, 1943” captures one of England’s most cherished rural traditions at a time when normal life was reshaped by wartime austerity.
A Moment of Continuity Amid Wartime Hardship
Painted during the height of World War II, this scene records the Badsworth Hunt, a historic Yorkshire foxhound pack founded in 1730.
By 1943, fuel rationing and the absence of younger men had limited mounted hunting, leading to the “hunt on foot” gatherings depicted here.
The painting portrays hounds from the Thorpe Audlin Kennels, guided under the Mastership of Major Vernon Hugh Gamester, C.B.E., and Joint Master Charles Lyon, as they assembled for the traditional Boxing Day meet at Easingwold.
Short’s painting thus becomes both a documentary record and a quiet symbol of resilience — a testament to rural England’s determination to maintain ritual and fellowship even under the shadow of global conflict.
Technique and Atmosphere
In his later years, Short achieved a remarkable command of light, tone, and restraint.
Here, his transparent washes and fine brushwork render the crisp brilliance of a winter morning, the still air alive with anticipation.
The muted palette — ochres, soft greys, and wintry blues — reflects both the austerity and dignity of wartime Britain.
His measured composition, balancing the ordered groupings of hounds and figures against open fields and frost-bright hedgerows, conveys harmony and discipline — an understated expression of English endurance.
Painted when Short was nearing ninety, the work demonstrates a mature artist’s sense of clarity and compassion.
It is not merely a sporting picture but a reflection on continuity, community, and the quiet heroism of ordinary life.
The Artist: George Anderson Short (1856–1945)
Born in Yorkshire, George Anderson Short devoted his career to the depiction of rural landscapes, animals, and people.
His art bridges two centuries — from the late Victorian taste for pastoral beauty to the mid-twentieth century’s mood of reflection.
By the 1940s, he was one of the last survivors of that earlier generation of English watercolourists, and his late works, such as The Badsworth Hunt on Foot, are valued for their authenticity and emotional refinement.
Collectors prize Short’s art for its documentary quality, technical precision, and quiet reverence for the countryside.
Signed: Lower right, “G.A. Short 1943.”
Verso: titled “The Badsworth Hunt on Foot.”
Authenticity is supported by recorded provenance and exhibition listings.
Framing and Presentation
The painting has been newly reframed to museum conservation standards in a Larson Juhl gold-leaf moulded frame, complemented by a white and gold mount and AR70 low-reflective, UV-protective glass.
This refined presentation highlights the work’s period warmth while ensuring full archival safety.
Framed dimensions: 58.5 cm (W) × 48.5 cm (H) × 3.5 cm (D).
Provenance and Exhibition History
Private Collection, Yorkshire
Lincoln Fine Art Sale (Golding Young, Est. 1864), 2023
Verso inscription: “The Badsworth Hunt on Foot”
Exhibited: “Fields in Waiting: Rural Traditions During Wartime,” Famous Lord Hill Museum, Autumn 2025 (Catalogue No. 47)
Featured in Nottinghamshire Dandy and Fine Interiors, curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
This distinguished provenance establishes the painting’s authenticity and its recognised historical importance.
Condition Report
The watercolour remains in excellent condition.
The surface is clean and stable, with only minor foxing visible in the upper sky area.
Colours retain full vibrancy, and the sheet has been mounted on acid-free archival materials.
Frame, mount, and glazing are pristine, ensuring professional conservation and display quality.
Enduring Significance
The Badsworth Hunt on Foot transcends its immediate subject. It stands as an emblem of English cultural endurance — a painting that captures how ritual, companionship, and identity persisted even in wartime.
It is a rare and deeply humane work from a period when the everyday became heroic through quiet constancy.
For collectors of sporting art, Yorkshire landscapes, or WWII-period British painting, this signed 1943 watercolour represents both artistic mastery and national memory — a timeless portrait of resilience, tradition, and grace.