As the artist is particularly interested in folklore and mythology and there are numerous entries by the red fox in tales from both genres, ‘Reynard II’ seems like a natural progression for hugely popular contemporary artist, Gary Benfield. Hence why the red fox takes centre stage in his most recent visual reckoning witnessed here. ‘Reynard II’ is an inquisitive, pre-occupied fox, clearly having its attention drawn to and fixed by activities off canvas, and there’s no artist better qualified to instill the pictorial evidence of this than Benfield in our book.

Piercing eyes, quizzical ears and an upper torso poised and ready for imminent action should it be required, Benfield’s eponymous fox is lifted off the page by its almost embossed-like illustrative status, brought about by the seemingly bland, uneventful backdrop that the artist has conspired around the primary subject matter.