Edward Garraway

Edward Garraway was an English animal painter who also worked as a horse dealer and farmer.

Born in Englefield, near Egham in Surrey, he grew up amid picturesque rural surroundings. His father, also named Edward Garraway, was a gentleman and likely owned several horses. As a result, the young Garraway would have developed an early familiarity with equestrian life, while also finding ample opportunity to sketch the animals around him.

Around 1861, he was sent to live with the landowner and philanthropist James Braby (1826–1907). During this period, he likely acquired practical knowledge of farming. Braby employed four servants, including a groom, which suggests the presence of stabled horses on the estate.

In 1865, Garraway established himself in Guildford as a farmer and horse dealer. In a local newspaper advertisement, he informed “noblemen, gentlemen, and the public in general” that he would always have available “a first-class assortment of sound and genuine hunters and harness horses,” which he would be pleased to show to any prospective visitor.

A few years later, however, his business appears to have declined; the 1871 census records him as unemployed. This setback may have acted as a turning point, prompting him to pursue painting more seriously. The earliest known work attributed to him is dated 1870 and titled A Bad Start, presumably a portrait of a racehorse.

Garraway subsequently devoted himself to painting animals professionally. An example from 1888 illustrates his mature style: although he lacked the academic polish of formally trained contemporaries, he succeeded in capturing the vitality and character of his subjects with directness and charm.