| George Wright | |
| Birth Date: | 30 June 1860 |
| Birth Place: | Leeds, Yorkshire, England |
| Death Place: | Seaford, Sussex, England |
| Nationality: | English |
| Occupation: | Painter and Illustrator |
| Years Active: | 18941929 |
| Known For: | Painting hunting and coaching scenes |
George Wright (30 June 186011 March 1944) was a painter in oils whose subjects were mainly drawn from hunting, with which he was familiar, being a fox-hunter himself, coaching and other equestrian topics. George Wright was one of the foremost equestrian artists of his time. He was one of a family of seven children, five of whom were professional artists, either principally as painters, or as illustrators.
Wright is sometimes confused with George Wright (18511 February 1916), a Scottish landscape painter who lived in Annan.
Wright was born in Leeds on 30 June 1860. His father was George Edward Wright (24 February 183411 November 1916), an accountant and Elizabeth Scott (c. 184031 May 1916), the daughter or Thomas Scott (born c. 1804), variously a railway engineer and a commission agent. George Edward and Elizabeth were married on 22 August 1859 in St. Jude's Church at Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire, England. The Wrights had seven children, five of whom were artists:
George married Rose Ellen Tribe (14 December 186413 November 1943) of Leeds, the daughter of Edward Tribe, (born c.1817) a publican and Kezia Tribe (born c. 1925), on 30 March 1885 at the parish church of Wrangthorn, Yorkshire. The couple had two daughters:
Wright moved to Rugby in 1901, and was living in Oxford by 1908 and had moved to Richmond by 1929. He was living at 5 King's Road, Richmond, Surrey in September 1939 along with his wife Rose Ellen and his sister Ethel. He moved to Seaford later on in the year. Wright was living at 3 Queens Park Gardens, Seaford, Sussex in 1943 when his wife died on 13 November. He survived her by only a few months, dying on 11 March 1944 at the same address. Both husband and wife choose his brother Gilbert Scott Wright as an executor.
The details of his early working life are not known. Like the rest of his family, he had no formal training in art, but had to learn as he progressed. However, as he left a large number of oil canvasses from his early period painted en Grisaille it is assumed that he was doing a lot of illustration work. Wright was known for painting strong and well-finished hunting and coaching scenes, and for his horse portraits.
From 1901, when he moved to Rugby, he began to paint polo matches as well. From 1925 he was under commission from both by 1925 was under commission to Ackermanns in the U.K. and Grand Central Galleries in New York. These were major publishers of prints. As well as commercial galleries, Wright exhibited six times at the Walker Gallery and 33 times at the Royal Academy. He often painted his pictures in pairs.
Wright collaborated with his brother Gilbert Scott Wright, who was twenty years his junior, in producing paintings of sporting and coaching scenes for calendars and other work. They collaborated until about 1925. Wright also produced postcards, designing the Sporting Pictures range for E. W. Savoury.
Bradshaw said that Wright was chiefly known for his jolly sporting prints—pictures of Georgian huntsmen, "Gentlemen of the Road" and other "horsey" types who are always certain of popularity on the walls of the R.A. and in print-shop windows all over the World. Wood states that he painted in a lively and realistic style. Victoria Fine art states that He painted superb horse portraits and very good action pictures, particularly of hunting and coaching. His work is strong and well finished. He was one of the best sporting painters of his time.
Wright's work can command attractive prices at auction. Record auction prices include: