By Jenny Hand, Director of the Munnings Art Museum
This year the Munnings Art Museum, which houses the largest permanent retrospective exhibition of the art of Sir Alfred Munnings (1878-1959), celebrates its 65th birthday with three special exhibitions.
Alfred Munnings was born at Mendham in Suffolk, the son of a miller. He was apprenticed to Page Bros in Norwich at the age of 14 where he was trained to design posters and adverts and also took evening classes at the Norwich School of Art.
By the age of 20 he had sold numerous paintings from the exhibitions of the Norwich Art Circle, of which he was a member 1897-1911, which gave him the money to convert an old carpenter’s shop into his first studio. From here he began “serious” painting, working en plein air (outdoors) to capture the rural life of Norfolk and Suffolk and, of course, the subject for which he is most well-known, horses.
From Dedham to the Royal Academy
In 1919 Munnings purchased Castle House at Dedham, just a stone’s throw from John Constable’s Flatford. With the support of his second wife, Violet McBride, whom he met the same year, he embarked on the most high-profile part of his career. Painting on the estates of the rich and famous, portraits of his patrons on horseback, Grand National Winners and the Royal Family, his reputation grew, and eventually towards the end of the Second World War, it resulted in his election to President of the Royal Academy (1944-1949).
An outspoken critic of modern art, Munnings caused controversy during his presidency by publicly attacking artists such as Picasso and dismissing many of the emerging artistic movements of the day.
Violet’s vision
Following his death in 1959, it was the formidable Violet who opened Castle House, the home they shared for 40 years, as the Munnings Art Museum. Newspaper headlines in the run-up to opening on 4 June 1961 describe her as the “newest recruit to the stately home business”, having taken advice from a Lincolnshire friend, Lady Manvers, on how to go about it.
On opening day, 600 people flocked to the building curious to see the former home of the Royal Academy’s most controversial President. The Daily Mail splashed the headline “Invasion Traps Lady Munnings” and Violet emerged from the fray to report: “I had the shock of my life when I saw all those people queuing. I still haven’t got over it…I got lost in the crowd. I couldn’t make myself heard. Several times I was trapped, I got pushed against the wall and had to defend myself with a chair.”
Violet was clearly a gifted PR woman, getting coverage of the opening in both local East Anglian and National newspapers. Several publications focused on Violet’s convictions that Sir Alfred was, in fact, the reincarnation of John Constable himself who died in 1837.
“The more I think about it, the more convinced I am,” she is recorded as saying. “Constable went to school not ten minutes’ walk from here. When Munnings saw the house, he immediately fell for it. I am sure that it was Constable coming back to his own countryside,” she concluded.
During the first decade of the museum Violet would tour people around the ground floor and studio herself along with the “singing” dog, Toby. In 1971, following her death, the Trustees she had appointed, including the museum’s first chairman Stanley Booth, took over its running. Booth, a director of BX Plastics, applied himself to promoting Munnings’ legacy, restoring the house and enhancing the collection. Under his leadership the museum purchased some twenty-five of Munnings’ paintings from private owners and auction houses which now form the much-loved core of the collection and include many of the paintings on show until 25 October.
Exhibitions until 25 October 2026
The Permanent Collection, 150 pictures of horses and country life hang in the six rooms and hallways of the museum with a short history of the museum included, containing paintings and archive material.
Twenty rarely seen paintings from Private Collections demonstrate the continued popularity of Sir Alfred Munnings among art collectors today.
The Influence of John Constable explores the tangible influence of Constable on the life and work of Sir Alfred Munnings.
The newly restored garden room can be visited. This Edwardian addition to Castle House was restored last year and opened by His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla in February 2026.
The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday & Bank Holiday Mondays from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Admission: Adult £12, 25s and under free, Students 26+ £9, Museum Year Pass £22, National Art Pass (Art Fund) £6. Free entry for Dedham residents during the month of June (proof of address required).
Munnings Art Museum, Castle House, Castle Hill, Dedham, Essex CO7 6AZ
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