Horatio Henry Couldery (Born 1832) was born in Lewisham. He grew up to be one of the best animal artists of the Victorian era. Couldery was born into a large family of 9 siblings. He escaped an apprenticeship to a cabinetmaker to pursue his love of painting. He joined the Royal Academy in London where he trained and at the end he exhibited his paintings at many notable galleries. He’s known for his ability to capture the expression of his animal subjects. He ended up being called the “kitten” Couldery because of his many paintings of cats. His attention to detail made his paintings to be very popular, and he also produced popular illustrations for children’s books. Couldery worked as a professional artist, illustrating greeting cards and children’s books as well as creating commissioned pieces.
He painted with a sense of humor, often portraying his subjects in naughty situations that successfully captured the personality and character of the animals. He was also noted for his adroit portrayal of the animal fur’s texture in minute detail. With this great attention to detail his work was highly regarded by John Ruskin who was an art critic. Ruskin reviewed his cat painting that he exhibited in 1875 and remarked that it was the most Dureresque painting and skillful piece of minutiae in the exhibition. Today his art is highly collectible. About 42 pieces of his works are on view at the Glanmore National Historic Site in Belleview in Canada. His art adorn the walls of many galleries around the world.
