BY JAMIE FOSTER
For devotees of sporting art and country life, the arrival of autumn in London brings a notable highlight. From 29 September to 16 October 2026, the Rountree Tryon Gallery in St James’s will host Hound & Horse, a selling exhibition that celebrates the enduring bond between man and his two most loyal companions through the lens of artistic genius.
This is no ordinary exhibition; it is a journey through time, tracing the evolution of our relationship with dogs and horses from the grand portraits of the eighteenth century to the vibrant works of today. The genre of sporting art originated as a way to present wealth and status, with portraits of racehorses, hunters, and packs of hounds first becoming fashionable in the early 1700s. While the roles of these animals have evolved, the tradition of commissioning their portraits to commemorate success endures, a testament to their steadfast presence in our lives.
The exhibition will showcase over 40 artworks, a rich tapestry of oils, watercolours, sculpture, and works on paper. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to admire works by the great masters of the genre, including Sir Alfred Munnings, the legendary painter whose acute observance of equine behaviour earned him the title of the consummate equine portraitist. Alongside him will hang works by John Wootton, Lionel Edwards, John Herring Snr, and Edward Seago, names that are the very bedrock of British sporting art.
However, Hound & Horse is not merely a retrospective. By placing these historical giants in dialogue with a selection of distinguished contemporary artists, including Tania Still, Frippy Jameson, and Jo Taylor, the exhibition highlights the genre’s living, breathing vitality. It looks at the changing nature of our relationship with these animals, documenting a love affair that remains as potent today as it was centuries ago.
A full-colour catalogue will accompany the show, and admission is free. This marks a significant moment for Rountree Tryon, being its first major exhibition since acquiring its new ground-floor gallery space at 19 Ryder Street, St James’s. The gallery, which specialises in maritime, wildlife, and topographical art, has been a market leader since its founding in 1959 and is the perfect setting for this celebration of artistic heritage.
Hound & Horse runs from 29 September to 16 October 2026 at 19 Ryder Street, St James’s, London, SW1Y 6PX. The gallery is open Monday to Friday, 10 am – 5:30 pm.