Sydney Prior Hall (1842-1922) - Princess Irene of Hesse, later Princess Henry of Prussia (1866-1953) - RCIN 406275 - Royal Collection

The son of renowned horse painter, Harry Hall, Sydney Prior Hall was born in England and attended the University of Oxford where he graduated with a first (degree with high honors). Sydney decided he wanted to pursue a career in the arts, and after graduation he gained employment with The Graphic, an illustrated newspaper, shortly after its foundation in 1869. The Graphic was considered a major alternative to The Illustrated London News and after Sydney’s vivid visual coverage of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71, both The Graphic and Sydney Prior Hall had established their success.