Percy Earl was one of the renowned Earl family of sporting and animal painters. His father was George Earl (1824-1908), who was known principally as a painter of sporting dogs and who is also remembered for his important series of head studies Champion Dogs of England. George's brother Thomas Earl (1836-1885) was a well-known painter of horses and dogs, who exhibited prolifically at the Royal Academy. Percy's younger half-sister Maud Earl (1863-1943) was perhaps the pre-eminent painter of pure-bred dogs in the 19th Century, who painted dogs belonging to the Royal Family and whose work was widely reproduced in books and as prints. Maud emigrated to America during the First World War and died in New York.
Percy Earl was a fine and accomplished artist, whose horse portraiture is recognised as amongst the best of the period. Most of his work was commissioned by hunting families and consequently he does not appear to have exhibited his work in public galleries. In addition to the high quality of his paintings, they were well-composed and very natural, often including some favourite hounds, which set his work apart from the many horse portraitists of the day. He contributed some equestrian cartoons to Vanity Fair.
Literature: Dog Painting, The European Breeds, William Secord
The Dictionary of British Equestrian Artists
