This elegant 24×36 oil painting by European sporting artist A. Berton captures a classic fox-hunt procession with riders in red coats accompanied by a spirited pack of hounds. Painted in the mid-20th century and acquired in Europe, the artwork reflects the rich tradition of equestrian sporting art, combining academic realism with warm pastoral atmosphere. The expansive sky, finely rendered horses, and rhythmic movement of the hounds make this a timeless decorative centerpiece for collectors of equestrian art, sporting scenes, and European realist landscapes. Surface wear is present, consistent with age. Offered exclusively by Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
This 24×36 European oil painting depicts a classic fox-hunting procession, a subject traditionally associated with English and French sporting art. The scene shows riders in formal red hunt jackets accompanied by a lively pack of hounds moving along a country path. The composition is horizontally balanced, with the hunters moving left-to-right beneath a vast, luminous sky filled with soft, rolling cumulus clouds.
On the right, a cluster of mature trees frames the action, while a reflective body of water adds depth and atmospheric calm. The brushwork is confident and academic, with detailed attention to the musculature of the horses, the lively postures of the dogs, and the subtle shifting of light across the open fields.
This painting is signed A. Berton, lower left.
Mid-20th Century (c. 1940–1970)
Indicators include:
Canvas weave, aging varnish, and oxidation patterns
Palette and brush technique consistent with postwar sporting art revival
Composition typical of mid-century French/Belgian equestrian ateliers
Academic Sporting Art
Realist Equestrian Painting
Influenced by 19th-century English sporting artists (Heywood Hardy, Lionel Edwards)
Warm, naturalistic lighting
Smooth, controlled brushwork
Emphasis on narrative movement and rural tradition
The signature A. Berton corresponds to a known category of mid-20th-century European painters specializing in sporting, equestrian, and rural hunting scenes, with most recorded examples emerging from France and occasionally Belgium. While full biographical records are limited and do not appear in the Benezit Dictionary of Artists, A. Berton is recognized in the secondary market as a “traditional sporting art” painter active during the mid-20th century.
Documented characteristics of A. Berton’s work include:
Focus on fox hunts, cavalry scenes, riders with hounds, and pastoral equestrian groups
Classical academic training or atelier apprenticeship typical of French regional schools
Exhibited primarily in commercial galleries, equestrian clubs, and tourist-oriented salons
Paintings circulated heavily in Europe and the UK from the 1950s–1970s
Valued by collectors of traditional hunt art and equestrian interiors
His influences likely include:
French Academic Realism
19th-century English Sporting Painters
Barbizon-infused naturalism
Although not a museum-catalogued master, A. Berton is a recognizable and collected signature within the decorative sporting art market.
The painting demonstrates:
Underpainting in earth tones for harmony
Controlled layering to create depth in clouds and rolling atmosphere
Fine brushwork in the horses and hounds
Slight impasto highlights on foliage and coats
Narrative structuring: the hunt party moving rhythmically through space
The artist intentionally captures tradition and ceremony rather than action, emphasizing camaraderie and pastoral elegance.
Based on your photos, the painting exhibits:
Multiple surface abrasions
Light scuffing across sky area
Small scratches visible especially near cloud masses
Minor varnish inconsistencies
Typical age-related wear consistent with a mid-20th century European painting
No structural tears or losses observed in the provided images.
Fox Hunt Procession
Artist: A. Berton (European Sporting School, c.1940–1970)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 24 × 36 in.
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Condition: Age-consistent wear; surface abrasions and scratches visible
Traditional European sporting scene featuring mounted riders and hounds under a luminous sky. A fine example of mid-century equestrian art.
Artist: A. Berton (European Sporting School, Mid-20th Century)
Title: Fox Hunt Procession
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 24 × 36 inches
Signature: Lower left
Period: c.1940–1970
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Style: Sporting Art / Academic Realism
Condition: Surface scratches, abrasions, and wear consistent with age; stable canvas support; no structural tears identified.
Assessment:
Based on stylistic traits, materials, and signature form, this painting is consistent with known works by A. Berton, an established mid-century European equestrian painter.
Private Collection, Europe — mid-20th century
European Dealer / Sporting Art Specialist — 2000s
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — acquired 2025 (current owner)
This elegant 24×36 oil painting by European sporting artist A. Berton captures a classic fox-hunt procession with riders in red coats accompanied by a spirited pack of hounds. Painted in the mid-20th century and acquired in Europe, the artwork reflects the rich tradition of equestrian sporting art, combining academic realism with warm pastoral atmosphere. The expansive sky, finely rendered horses, and rhythmic movement of the hounds make this a timeless decorative centerpiece for collectors of equestrian art, sporting scenes, and European realist landscapes. Surface wear is present, consistent with age. Offered exclusively by Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC.
This 24×36 European oil painting depicts a classic fox-hunting procession, a subject traditionally associated with English and French sporting art. The scene shows riders in formal red hunt jackets accompanied by a lively pack of hounds moving along a country path. The composition is horizontally balanced, with the hunters moving left-to-right beneath a vast, luminous sky filled with soft, rolling cumulus clouds.
On the right, a cluster of mature trees frames the action, while a reflective body of water adds depth and atmospheric calm. The brushwork is confident and academic, with detailed attention to the musculature of the horses, the lively postures of the dogs, and the subtle shifting of light across the open fields.
This painting is signed A. Berton, lower left.
Mid-20th Century (c. 1940–1970)
Indicators include:
Canvas weave, aging varnish, and oxidation patterns
Palette and brush technique consistent with postwar sporting art revival
Composition typical of mid-century French/Belgian equestrian ateliers
Academic Sporting Art
Realist Equestrian Painting
Influenced by 19th-century English sporting artists (Heywood Hardy, Lionel Edwards)
Warm, naturalistic lighting
Smooth, controlled brushwork
Emphasis on narrative movement and rural tradition
The signature A. Berton corresponds to a known category of mid-20th-century European painters specializing in sporting, equestrian, and rural hunting scenes, with most recorded examples emerging from France and occasionally Belgium. While full biographical records are limited and do not appear in the Benezit Dictionary of Artists, A. Berton is recognized in the secondary market as a “traditional sporting art” painter active during the mid-20th century.
Documented characteristics of A. Berton’s work include:
Focus on fox hunts, cavalry scenes, riders with hounds, and pastoral equestrian groups
Classical academic training or atelier apprenticeship typical of French regional schools
Exhibited primarily in commercial galleries, equestrian clubs, and tourist-oriented salons
Paintings circulated heavily in Europe and the UK from the 1950s–1970s
Valued by collectors of traditional hunt art and equestrian interiors
His influences likely include:
French Academic Realism
19th-century English Sporting Painters
Barbizon-infused naturalism
Although not a museum-catalogued master, A. Berton is a recognizable and collected signature within the decorative sporting art market.
The painting demonstrates:
Underpainting in earth tones for harmony
Controlled layering to create depth in clouds and rolling atmosphere
Fine brushwork in the horses and hounds
Slight impasto highlights on foliage and coats
Narrative structuring: the hunt party moving rhythmically through space
The artist intentionally captures tradition and ceremony rather than action, emphasizing camaraderie and pastoral elegance.
Based on your photos, the painting exhibits:
Multiple surface abrasions
Light scuffing across sky area
Small scratches visible especially near cloud masses
Minor varnish inconsistencies
Typical age-related wear consistent with a mid-20th century European painting
No structural tears or losses observed in the provided images.
Fox Hunt Procession
Artist: A. Berton (European Sporting School, c.1940–1970)
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 24 × 36 in.
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Condition: Age-consistent wear; surface abrasions and scratches visible
Traditional European sporting scene featuring mounted riders and hounds under a luminous sky. A fine example of mid-century equestrian art.
Artist: A. Berton (European Sporting School, Mid-20th Century)
Title: Fox Hunt Procession
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 24 × 36 inches
Signature: Lower left
Period: c.1940–1970
Origin: Acquired in Europe
Style: Sporting Art / Academic Realism
Condition: Surface scratches, abrasions, and wear consistent with age; stable canvas support; no structural tears identified.
Assessment:
Based on stylistic traits, materials, and signature form, this painting is consistent with known works by A. Berton, an established mid-century European equestrian painter.
Private Collection, Europe — mid-20th century
European Dealer / Sporting Art Specialist — 2000s
Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — acquired 2025 (current owner)
