An unlikely pair

Arthur John Elsley prints are full of children and their pets: a little girl measuring herself against a St Bernard, toddlers in the bath, puppies tumbling in the garden. Elsley was a popular English painter of the late Victorian and Edwardian years, and his pictures were reproduced on calendars, magazines and advertisements. This collection gathers art prints of his gentle, humorous scenes of childhood, dogs, horses and country life.

About Arthur John Elsley

Arthur John Elsley was born in London in 1860, one of six children of a coachman and amateur artist. By the age of eleven he was making skilled animal studies at London Zoo. At fourteen he enrolled at the South Kensington School of Art, and in 1876 he entered the Royal Academy Schools, where he studied until 1882. A bout of measles in his teens permanently damaged his eyesight.

He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1878, with a portrait of an old pony, and soon took commissions for portraits of children, dogs and horses. In 1889 he moved into the studio of Frederick Morgan, a popular painter of children; Elsley's skill with animals complemented Morgan's work. In 1893 he married his second cousin Emily Fusedale, who had modeled for him for ten years, and their daughter Marjorie, born in 1903, later posed for many of his paintings.

After Charles Burton Barber's death in 1894, Elsley became the leading painter of children and their pets. His output dropped during the First World War, when he worked on bomb-sights in a munitions factory, and by the early 1930s his eyesight allowed only woodworking and gardening. He died at home in Tunbridge Wells on 19 February 1952.

Style and Subjects

Elsley's paintings are warm, detailed and full of gentle humor. Most show children with animals: girls with large, patient dogs, boys with ponies, babies and kittens. He worked mostly in the studio from individual sitters, building up crowded, cheerful compositions with several figures.

His colors are soft and natural, with sunlit gardens, cozy kitchens and country lanes as backdrops. The pictures often tell a small story, from a child sneaking a treat to a dog guarding a sleeping baby, which helps explain why they were so popular on calendars and in advertising.

Famous Works

• Ellen Benett-Stanford Riding 'Congress' (1885), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. An early commission for the family at Preston Manor in Brighton.
• The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington (1891). Awarded a silver medal at the Crystal Palace exhibition.
• I'se Biggest (1892). A little girl compares her height with a large St Bernard; so popular that it had to be re-engraved.
• Grandfather's Pet (1893). Chosen by the Illustrated London News as its Christmas picture for 1893.
• So Tired (1894), Hartlepool Museums. A sleepy child scene from his most popular period.
• Hard Pressed (Any Port in a Storm) (1898), Dallas Museum of Art. A small child and a dog caught in a mishap.

Decorating with Elsley Prints

Elsley's pictures are made for family rooms. They look lovely in a nursery or child's bedroom, a playroom or a kitchen, where their warm colors and gentle humor feel right at home. Simple white or soft wood frames suit their light, cheerful mood.

Dog lovers will find plenty to choose from for a hallway, mudroom or cozy living room, and his horse and pony pictures suit a country-style home or a room with a traditional, cottage feel.

FAQ

What kind of artist was Arthur John Elsley?

Elsley was an English genre painter of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, best known for idyllic scenes of children playing with their pets.

What is Arthur John Elsley's most famous painting?

I'se Biggest (1892), showing a young girl measuring herself against a St Bernard dog, was one of his most popular pictures. It was in such demand that it had to be re-engraved.

Where can I see Elsley's original paintings?

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery and Preston Manor in Brighton hold several of his works. Others are at the Dallas Museum of Art, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery in Bournemouth and Hartlepool Museums.

How can you recognize an Arthur John Elsley painting?

Look for rosy-cheeked children with dogs, ponies or kittens, painted in soft, natural colors with lots of detail and a gentle, humorous story.

Why were Elsley's paintings so widely known?

His pictures were reproduced on calendars, in magazines and books, and in advertising for firms such as Sunlight Soap and Peek Freans. This brought his work into homes across Britain and beyond.

Related Artists

• Frederick Morgan — painter of children whose studio Elsley shared from 1889
• Charles Burton Barber — the leading painter of children and pets before Elsley
• Sophie Anderson — Victorian painter of sentimental scenes of children