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| 2nd Manchesters capturing a German Battery, April 1917 |
Richard Junior studied art in Düsseldorf, Germany, before spending time studying art in Russia and Paris. He worked as an illustrtor for publications - the “Illustrated London News”, where he soon gained a reputation as a talented reporter and writer - and for “Cornhill Magazine”, “The Strand Magazine” and “The Tatler”.
Caton was commissioned to cover the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), and the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War (1882), the Second Boer War (1899 – 1902), and the First World War (1914 – 1919). Richard Jr. wrote some of his memoirs in 1914, entitled WRandom RecollectionsW. He was deeply interested in the army and joined the Royal Berkshire Yeomanry Cavalry in 1879, staying with them until 1914, when he joined the National Reserve as a Captain.
Three of Caton's WW1 paintings went on display at the Royal Academy of Arts in London: The 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment taking six guns at dawn near St. Quentin, Entry of the 5th Lancers into Mons, and Halloween, 1914 and Stand of the London Scottish on Messines Ridge (London Scottish Regiment Museum Trust), which was exhibited in the year of his death, 1927.
Richard's WW1 paintings were:
The First VC of the European War, (1914 – National Army Museum): Captain Francis Grenfell, 9th Lancers, the first VC of World War I to be gazetted, winning the VC at Audregnies, Belgium, 24th August 1914
The Last Call (Trumpeter falling at Charge of Light Brigade), (1915 – The Queen's Royal Hussars)
The Piper of Loos, (King's Own Scottish Borderers Regimental Association)
The Battle of the Somme, (1917 – Guards Museum)
The 2nd Batt. Manchester Regiment taking six guns at dawn near St. Quentin, (1918 – Duke of Lancaster's Regiment)
Entry of the 5th Lancers into Mons, (1919 – Queen's Royal Lancers)
The Charge of the 9th Lancers at Moncel, 7 September 1914, (1921 – 9th Queen's Royal Lancers)
Halloween, 1914: Stand of the London Scottish on Messines Ridge (1927 – London Scottish Regiment Museum Trust)
Source: Wikipedia
