John Willis Good (British, 1845-1879) A rare patinated bronze equestrian model of a huntsman with his hounds and a foxJohn Willis Good (British, 1845-1879): A rare patinated bronze equestrian model of a huntsman with his hounds and a foxthe dismounted figure crouching beside his horse, blowing his horn and gesturing with his riding crop, the hounds surrounding a fox, raised on a naturalistic canted base signed and dated J Willis Good 1872, 30.5cm high, 56cm wide, 29cm deep approximatelyJohn Willis Good is the leading English 'Animalier' sculptor of the 19th century century, whose work is comparable with the French 'Animalier' masters of the period. During his short but prolific career he concentrated on studies of hunting scenes, namely hounds and horses, with or without ridersSadly, at the age of 34, after only ten years exhibiting his work, he shot himself in his studio on the Fulham Road, London. Perhaps for this reason we know very little about him today other than he took a probationary course in the schools of the Royal Academy and later studied under the celebrated Austrian born sculptor Joseph Edgar Boehm Boehm (1834-1890). Between 1870 and 1878 he exhibited sixteen pieces at the Royal Academy and on one occasion collaborated on a work with Charles Lutyens, himself a well-known sporting painter who also produced several sculptures.Willis Good's sculptures were justifiably popular during his lifetime and were edited in bronze, sterling silver and silver-plated bronze, often by Elkington & Co. of Birmingham. His last work was a series of studies of hounds, and he became increasingly interested in the patination of his work which he began to carry out himself.