Biographical Information

Major Godfrey D. Giles
British 1857-1941

Born at Kurrachee, India, Giles was the son of Edward Giles an Officer in the Indian Navy. He was service in India, Afghanistan and Egypt in the army before retiring as Major in 1884. During his army career Giles had produced a number of military pictures. He later studied under Carolus Duran in Paris. He moved to London, later to Newmarket, and finally to Scotland where he died on February 1 st in Edinburgh.

He portrayed various named hunting countries which were to be reproduced as prints. He was followed by many others including Cecil Aldin, Lionel Edwards and John King.

He is considered one of the transitional artists from the 19 th century woodenness to the modern free style. His work tends to be a little heavy and stilted and his coloring to be muddy, but he had a good feeling for hunting and his paintings are full of activity, normally showing a view of the hunt form a distance with riders spread out across several fields. He also painted polo and racing scenes and many racehorse portraits, and illustrated for The Badminton Library, The Graphic, Black and White and Vanity Fair. A large number of prints were produced after his work.

-special thanks from Sally Mitchell, The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists