Return of the Guns Victorian Shooting Party signed oil painting

Very fine, large scale original Victorian oil painting on canvas, depicting a traditional shooting party, “The Return of the Guns”. The painting is by the celebrated Victorian artist, John Charlton (1849-1917) and is signed and dated 1885. Painted on this grand scale, most likely an exhibition piece, the painting captures a gathering of wealthy industrialists returning from a days shooting. The days ‘bag’ lays on the ground before them and they jovially engage in conversation as they make their way towards the viewer. John Charlton was born at Bamburgh, Northumberland and received his first drawing lessons from his father. At the suggestion of Joseph Crawhall he enrolled as a pupil at the goverment School of Art under William Bell Scott. Charlton settled permanently in London and exhibiting at the Royal Academy until 1904 by which time he had contributed 53 works. Later he concentrated on portrait, animals, figurative, battle scenes and landscape painting. A special loan exhibition of his work was staged at the Laing Art Gallery following his death in 1917.