Richard Buckner

RICHARD BUCKNER (Woolwich, London, 1812-1883).
"Sir Harold and Lady Millicent Gray with their dogs."
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 140 x 110 cm.
This painting represents a childhood scene in a peaceful natural landscape. In the center of the composition appear two children of wealthy class, probably siblings, portrayed with the attention to detail and sensitivity characteristic of the author. The girl, seated elegantly, holds a small dog on her lap, while directing a serene gaze towards her brother. The boy, standing next to her, reaches out to pet the animal, but his attention is directed to the viewer, establishing a subtle visual link that reinforces the representational character of the scene.
In the lower left, a second, larger dog raises its head towards the child in a gesture of curiosity and closeness, completing a visual triangle between the characters and accentuating the affective interaction between them. The landscape that surrounds the scene, although treated with sobriety, adds depth and atmosphere, placing the characters in a natural environment that emphasizes the harmony and ideal of childhood typical of Victorian taste.
Richard Buckner was an English portrait painter who began his artistic career working in a studio set up in the family home. After serving in the army in 1832 and 1833 as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps, he studied painting in Rome under Giovanni Battista Cassevari. During his stay in that city, he offered guidance to the young Frederick Leighton, who would later become president of the Royal Academy. In London, he had his residence and studio in Cleveland Row, opposite St. James's Palace.
He began his activity as a miniaturist, but later specialized in larger format portraiture. He painted Italian genre scenes, but later focused on portraits of Victorian ladies of high society. He exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1842, and then regularly between 1846 and 1877, with a total of 77 works, only seven of which were Italian in subject matter. He was proposed as a candidate for membership of that institution. He also exhibited in other important British institutions.
Numerous engravings based on his works are preserved in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Among his oil paintings are Portrait of a Boy and Portrait of a Boy Singer at the Chapel Royal, both of which are in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Works by him are also in the British Museum, the National Army Museum, Windsor Castle, Osborne House, Woburn Abbey, the Birmingham Art Gallery, Harewood House, the Foundling Hospital, County Hall, Maidstone and Castle Leslie in Ireland. Among his patrons were Queen Adelaide, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.