And then there are those giants among us.
We first came across Lionel Hamilton-Renwick’s name in our browsing for dog art. One would be hard pressed to believe that Hamilton-Renwick was best known for his portrayals of dogs (which several sources indicated) since virtually everything we found in an image search for his artwork shows horse paintings, one exquisite one after another. Not surprisingly, he was the equestrian artist for the Royal Family and other patrons of horse racing. One of Hamilton-Renwick paintings of mares and foals was used by Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) for her Christmas card, while his depiction of the Queen’s racehorse, Aureole hangs in Buckingham Palace.
As it turns out, Hamilton-Renwick was a bit of a Renaissance man in his interests. Royal artist, he was also an authority on cacti, and there seemed to be no domestic animal that didn’t interest him or that he didn’t breed (usually to great success). He produced prize-winning Siamese cats, pigeons, Jersey cows; chickens, and miniature Shetland ponies.
Dogs, however, are where Hamilton-Renwick shined.
He had the first Doberman Pinscher champion at Crufts, and was the first person to establish a kennel of Dobermans and Miniature Pinschers in Britain in 1948. Along with Pauline Block, Hamilton-Renwick introduced and established the Pharaoh Hounds into the UK. His bitch, “Birling Zahara,” had the distinction of being the first Pharaoh Hound to appear at Crufts in 1971. Hamilton-Renwick’s Pharaoh Hound puppies were exported throughout the world under the kennel name, “Birling.”
He appeared in the Best In Show ring at Crufts eleven times with three different breeds, and was a show judge for many years both at home and abroad.
It helped to have been born into money, the family fortune owing to his grandfather, Sir George Renwick. A shipbuilder and owner, Sir. George was the first person in the family to be involved with pedigree dogs. Thus, a young Lionel was surrounded by racehorses and dogs. He hunted with the North Tyne Foxhounds and the West Percy, and various family members bred Newminster Border Terriers, Toydom Pekingese, Watford Whippets, Ardagh gundogs, and Seagift Greyhounds.
Lionel Hamilton-Renwick never married (probably didn’t have time), and passed away in 2003.
Image: The only photograph we were able to find of Lionel Hamilton-Renwick was the picture seen here where he judged the Midlands Canine Society Dog Show. Presumably, he is in the dark suit in the middle. The Irish Wolfhound is, we believe, “Kyak”