Alfred Munnings

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Sir Alfred James Munnings, PRA, (8 October 1878 – 17 July 1959) was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken enemy of Modernism. Engaged by Lord Beaverbrook's Canadian War Memorials Fund, he earned several prestigious post-World War commissions that made him wealthy.

Alfred Munnings was born at Mendham, Suffolk, in 1878. At fourteen he was apprenticed to a Norwich printer, designing and drawing advertising posters for the next six years, attending the Norwich School of Art in his spare time. When his apprenticeship ended, he became a full time painter. He frequently painted rural scenes, and also subjects such as Gypsies and horses.

Munnings was elected president of the Royal Academy of Art in 1944, a post he held until 1949. His presidency is most famous for the departing speech he gave in 1949, attacking modernism. The broadcast was heard by millions of listeners to BBC radio. An evidently drunken Munnings claimed that the work of Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso had corrupted art. He recalled that Winston Churchill had once said to him, "Alfred, if you met Picasso coming down the street would you join with me in kicking his... something something?" to which Munnings said he replied "Yes Sir, I would".

He was awarded a knighthood in 1944. He died at Castle House, Dedham, Essex, in 1959.

[edit] At auction

His immensly popular sporting art works have enjoyed popularity in the United States as well as the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Represented by agents Frost & Reed of London while he was alive his works found homes in some of the wealthiest consumers of the day.

The highest price to date (January 2007) of a Munnings painting was from a work held by The Greentree Foundation (the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John Hay Whitney) at Sotheby's in New York City May 5, 2004. Lot 30, "The Red Prince Mare," sold for $7,848,000, far above his previous auction record of $4,292,500 set at Christie's in December, 1999. It was one of four works by Munnings in the auction. "The Red Prince Mare" is a 40-by-60-inch oil on canvas that was executed in 1921 and had an estimate of $4,000,000 to $6,000,000.

[edit] External links

• Alfred Munnings at artcyclopedia.com
• Feature film in Production involving Munnings and Laura Knight
• Telegraph (UK) "A dull day as records tumble" May 10, 2004
• Frost & Reed, London, Munnings works

Honorary Titles
Preceded by Sir Edwin Lutyens	President of the Royal Academy 1944–1949	Succeeded by Sir Gerald Kelly