Heywood Hardy
Heywood Hardy (1842-1933) An equestrian, hunting and genre scene painter and an eminent portrait painter, Heywood Hardy was the youngest son of painter James Hardy Sr. (1801-1879). He began his career as an animal painter in Keynsham. A renowned animal painter, Hardy was frequently invited to many manor houses and had a number of famous patrons, including Colonel Wyndham Murray, Marquis of Zetland and the Sitwells of Renishaw. Hardy moved to West Sussex in 1909 and, at the age of eighty-three, embarked on a unique phase of his career. It was a series of biblical scenes depicting Christ walking in the Sussex countryside, surrounded by recognizable modern villages. These panels were made to commemorate the 700th anniversary of the church at Clymping, where they can still be seen today.
