A well painted sporting painting of a hunters and hounds waiting on the side of a hill by John Sanderson-Wells. A field master is shown sitting on a bay horse in front of a group of hunters. As he looks out, other huntsmen and foxhounds are shown trying to pick up the scent of their quarry in the field below.

John Sanderson Wells was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire in the August of 1872 to John Septimus Wells and his wife Ellen (née Sanderson). His father was a piano and musical instrument dealer from Banbury who conducted his business from 53 Parson’s Street, where the family also lived. The success of the business enabled Wells to receive a good education at the nearby Bloxham School. After finishing his early education in Banbury, he went on to study art at the Slade School of Art in London and later the Académie Julian in Paris.

He began exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1895 with a work entitled ‘Gone Away’ and in 1896 exhibited a portrait of Miss Winifred Sykes, whom he later married. He remained living in Banbury until around 1899 when he moved to London. On 10 November, 1900 he married Florence Winifred Sykes at St Mary’s Church, Banbury. The couple lived at Well’s home in 20 Queen Anne’s Grove, Chiswick. His early works included a mixture of genre, sporting and portraits. However, later on he began focussing more on hunting and sporting scenes and other paintings featuring horses, for which he became best known.

As well as painting in oils, he also worked in watercolours and began exhibiting at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours from around 1900 and was elected a member in 1903. He also exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham and the Fine Art Society. Around the turn of the century he produced a series of illustrations for the Sphere magazine and others.

He moved to 8 Bedford Park Mansions in Chiswick sometime around 1907 where he spent the rest of his life. Wells usually signed his works J Sanderson Wells and by 1921, had officially adopted a hyphenated name of Sanderson-Wells. However, his signature on his paintings and sketchings seems to have remained unchanged. He continued painting and exhibiting and in 1948 he submitted four of his hunting watercolour scenes into the art competition at the 1948 Summer Olympics for Great Britain. Wells died at his home at 8 Bedford Park Mansions on 16 March, 1955. Examples of his work are held by Banbury Town Hall, Oxfordshire County Museums, Sheffield Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, The Whitaker and Williamson Art Gallery.

© Benton Fine Art