LIFELONG FOXHUNTING MAN, PAINTER DANIEL CRANE

Daniel Crane, born in Norfolk in 1969, is the youngest son of a farming family, always surrounded by animals and the countryside, with a respect and love for them both. 

He is one of the leading sporting artists in the UK, a fine horseman himself, especially dedicated to foxhunting, a keen shot, with a superb eye for a ‘quality horse.’  It delights him to search for a hunter ‘in the raw’ in the fields of Ireland, then slowly introduce him to the hunting field, or the show ring. 

His outstanding gifts led to an invitation from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment to be Artist in Residence, their first choice to record the pomp and ceremony of state occasions, where the cavalry is always a star attraction, his paintings often selected for the Royal Collection.  With an open brief, his paintings featured day to day life behind the scenes, leading to the grandeur of the Queen’s Birthday parade, the Presentation of New Colours, the Royal Wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales. 

The official painting of the Diamond Jubilee, commissioned by officers of the regiment, hangs in the Officers’ Mess at Knightsbridge Barracks.  Another triumph was a commission to paint Frankel, the greatest racehorse of all time, and the World & Olympic Dressage Champion, Vilagro, for the 130th anniversary edition of Horse & Hound.

As a child he started sketching his rural environment, sitting on the floor of his family farmhouse kitchen, with brushes, paint and paper. Drawing was a constant pastime for young Daniel.  including dogs, the cattle outside, birds, trees and hedgerows.   He was addicted to field sports, especially fox hunting, from his early teens, with a profound understanding of the sport, from ‘kennels to covert side.’  A regular with the Brocklesby and the Belvoir, and prestigious hunts in America, honoured to be Joint Master with Chris Ryan, from 2014 to 2019, of the Scarteen Hunt, known as the’ Black and Tans’ perhaps the most iconic pack of hounds in the world.   He paints hunting scenes with an emotional attachment to its every aspect:   choreography, finesse, and excitement.

Chris Ryan, whose family have been owners of Scarteen Hunt for three hundred years, writes:

‘Daniel, consummate horseman and huntsman, can capture the wonderful bond between horse and human, hound and huntsman, hound and horse. Every painting shares a special moment.  Moments which illustrate and illuminate all aspects from kennels to hunting field.  The anticipation, excitement, challenging the limits, but most of all the joy of living and sharing life with these wonderful horses and hounds. 

From crossing strong country on his great horse, to watching others cross it, all perspectives are covered.’

Daniel lives in Lincolnshire with his wife Ali, five black Labradors and a collection of hunters, much loved and often painted. 

The artist gives a lyrical account, in his own words, of his abiding passion, as an introduction to his art.               

‘Is there anything better than the music and theatre of a pack of hounds exploding from covert across country, and that daunting excitement, coupled with the feel of an honest, brave campaigner bowling you into your fences   or the scent of a freshly harvested cornfield on a damp, clear Autumn morning with the spontaneity and anticipation of what the coming few hours might bring. 

To capture the atmosphere of a quiet stable scene at home after a blistering day - that wonderful bond between man and horse, born from personal experience - it is my constant challenge to reproduce all those feelings through my collection of paintings.’