Event archive
The Munnings Art Museum
- 22 July 2025 10.15am - 2.30pm
- Castle Hill, Colchester CO7 6AZ
- Exclusive to EAAF Members - if you're not a member and would like to attend this event Join Now.
Join us to explore the paintings of Sir Alfred Munnings (1878 - 1959) at The Munnings Art Museum. This summer, they are celebrating the centenary of two very special paintings with the loan of The Royal Procession at Ascot and Their Majesties Return From Ascot. We will be welcomed by the Director of the Museum (and EAAF Member) Jenny Hand, followed by a curator's tour of the galleries.
Born in Mendham, Suffolk, and trained (part time) at Norwich School of Art, Sir Alfred Munnings spent much of his life in and around East Anglia. A major figure in the tradition of British Sporting Art, Munnings was celebrated for his depictions of English rural life. Immensely successful, he rose to become President of the Royal Academy during the Second World War.
Castle House was Munnings' home from 1919 until his death. His bespoke Norfolk studio was transported to Essex, in pieces, by train and reconstructed in the garden. Here he produced many of his famous paintings of horses. In 1920, he married Violet McBride. An accomplished horsewoman, Munnings painted her many times and she helped manage his career during the 1920s and 1930s. After his death, Violet (then Lady Munnings) left the house and its collection in trust to the nation, and the museum opened in the early 1960s. Visitors to the Munnings Art Museum can explore the life and work of this prolific East Anglian artist in the context of the house's original interiors.
Tickets are £40 per person and include refreshments, tours and lunch. Detailed directions will be provided. We are keen for those driving to car share, so please do let us know if you need a lift or can offer one.
Forthcoming events Event archive
- Study of the Windsor Greys
- Alfred James Munnings
- Oil on panel
- © Copyright the Estate of Sir Alfred Munnings
