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One of the best-known sporting illustrators of the early twentieth century, Aldin was born in Slough, the son of Charles Aldin, a Kensington builder and amateur artist. He displayed artistic talent from an early age and on leaving school, he became a pupil of Albert Moore in Kensington but left disenchanted after only a month and went to study animal painting at South Kensington. He later went to study under Frank Calderon in Sussex and it was here that he began his hunting career. In 1892 he began to get regular commissions for publications and took a studio in Chelsea. His first major commission was for Kipling's Jungle Stories and he illustrated hundreds of books during his lifetime, many of them with pictures of his own dogs.
He later moved to Chiswick and became part of the London Sketch Club. In 1898 he became an R.B.A. In 1899 his first set of hunting prints was published, followed by many others as they were immensely popular. He hunted with the West Surrey Staghounds and then in 1904 when he moved to Henley-on-Thames, he continued to hunt and became master of the Peppard Farmers' Harriers and later of the South Berkshire. As well as hunting, he rode in point-to-points and organised horse shows.
Aldin worked mainly in pastel or watercolor. Sally Mitchell considered that 'His portrayal of dogs was probably the most sensitive of anyone's this century. He had a delightful sense of humor and a very direct way of drawing. It is interesting that contrary to many, he felt that a slight knowledge of anatomy was useful but too deep a study turned one's work into medical diagrams. To him the eye was the most important part of a portrait.' (S. Mitchell, Dictionary of Equestrian Artists, Woodbridge, 1985, p. 73).
PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION
Cecil Charles Windsor Aldin (British, 1870-1935)
An Unexpected Encounter
Details
Cecil Charles Windsor Aldin (British, 1870-1935)
An Unexpected Encounter
signed 'Cecil ALDIN' (lower left)
pencil, pen and black ink and colored chalks heightened with white on ivorine
13 x 10 in. (33 x 25.4 cm.)
An Unexpected Encounter
signed 'Cecil ALDIN' (lower left)
pencil, pen and black ink and colored chalks heightened with white on ivorine
13 x 10 in. (33 x 25.4 cm.)
Provenance
Anonymous sale; Christie's, South Kensington, 7 June 1996, lot 502.