William Buss

The Enthusiastic Sportsman, Attributed to William Buss (English, 1804-1875)

Origin

England

Period

19th Century

Materials

Oil on canvas.

Dimensions

W.	11.5 in;	H.	10 in;
W.	29.21 cm;	H.	25.4 cm;

Condition

Fine condition, very minor scattered in-painting recently cleaned by Tom Yost.

Creation Date

1804-1875

Description

The Enthusiastic Sportsman

In a period gilt frame.

10 x 11 ½ inches

Robert William Buss was known for his amusing subjects. His years of training first as an engraver and later as illustrator, miniaturist and portraitist are showcased in The Enthusiastic Sportsman. A Dickens' enthusiast, Buss delighted in supplying several illustrations for the renowned author's book, The Pickwick Papers.

Buss, like many other Victorian artists, painted caricatures of the English gentry. This genre was pioneered by William Hogarth in the late eighteenth century in his series of paintings titled The Rake's Progress. In Buss's painting, The Enthusiastic Sportsman, an injured elderly gentleman, accompanied by his hunting dogs, is so anxious to go shooting on opening day that he insists that his servant push him in a bicycle-like contraption - with lame leg and rifle cocked - to the hunt.

Styles / Movements

Folk Art

Dealer Reference Number

WoA-C/E-OC 339

Incollect Reference Number

97170