GEORGE ARMFIELD (ATTRIBUTED) English, 1810–1893 Hot Breakfast Oil on board Charming domestic scene where a group of terriers is gathered around a glowing red cooking pot, likely awaiting a meal. Verso titled. Framed and with the artist's name on a plaque. Artwork: 5 x 7 inches (excluding frame) $150-250
ARTIST PROFILE: George Armfield (1810–1893) was one of 19th-century England's most prolific and distinguished animal painters, celebrated for his realistic, three-dimensional portraits of domestic and sporting animals. Born George Armfield Smith in Bristol, he was the son of portraitist William Armfield Hobday and began his career under his family name before adopting "Armfield" in 1840. Despite an early apprenticeship to a fishing tackle maker, his natural talent led him to professional painting before the age of sixteen, finding immediate success with patrons and exhibiting over 100 works at major venues like the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists. An expert horseman and ardent sportsman who kept a miniature "zoo" at his home, Armfield translated his deep personal affinity for animals into regal portrayals of terriers, spaniels, and gun dogs. Though he earned a substantial income of approximately £1,000 per year during his prime, his open-handedness and heavy betting often led to financial volatility. Following a partially successful eye operation in 1872, his sight and artistic powers declined, leading to a period of depression and poverty that ultimately required a pension from the Royal Academy shortly before his death in 1893.
