George Wright (British, 1860-1942), The Riderless Horse, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 16″ x 24″
George Wright was born in Leeds, England and became one of the foremost equestrian artists of his time. His parents, George E. and Elizabeth Wright, had five children, two of which (George and Gilbert) became notable artists. His sister, Louise Wright, was a pioneer of fashion art. Not much is known of George’s early life except that he painted many of his early works “en grisaille” – leading one to believe that they were done for illustration in books, posters, magazines, etc. He collaborated with his younger brother, Gilbert, painting equestrian scenes that were often used on calendars.
George Wright exhibited at the Royal Academy and several other venues almost continuously from 1892 through 1933. He worked with J.W. Brooke on a portrait, Lillie, daughter of J. Wallace, Countess, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1899.
In 1901 Wright moved to Rugby, and in 1908 he moved to Oxford. By 1925 he was under commission to Arthur Ackermann & Sons in the United Kingdom and Grand Central Galleries in New York. By 1929, George Wright, his wife and two children lived in Richmond, Surrey, where they stayed until his retirement in 1939. He died in Seaford, Sussex in 1942.