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Aubreys Auctioneers are thrilled to present to you an exquisite recent consignment. This masterpiece by British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803-1902) is from an inherited family collection in Hampshire, purchased by the vendor’s father over 40 years ago. This remarkable oil painting is now looking for someone to continue its fascinating story and will be coming up for auction on the 30th of January.
The untitled painting depicts a herd of cows, a subject Cooper was most well-known for, earning him the nickname ‘Cow Cooper’. His work typically depicts peaceful, idyllic rural scenes, featuring animals in fields, by water, or in farm yards, reflecting the beauty of the English countryside. This work demonstrates how his painting style was rooted in realism, yet his compositions sometimes showed influence from classical art, often organising his subjects in balanced, harmonious ways. His signature colour palette is used, with rich, full shades of deep greens, browns, and blues add depth, alongside the soft whites and yellows. These vibrant yet naturalistic colours contribute to the life like quality of his animals and the surrounding landscapes. Cooper even started breeding his own animals so that he always had models at hand, allowing him to capture the texture of fur, formation of muscle, and the expressive qualities of animals with immense accuracy, as exemplified in this painting.
British painter Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803-1902) was born in in Canterbury, Kent, and started his career at an extremely young age. Surrounded by the luscious Kent countryside for inspiration, Cooper was already working as a coach painter by the mere age of twelve years. At twenty years old, he headed for London to further his career and was admitted as a student at the Royal Academy. However, Cooper was forced to move back to Canterbury due to not being able to afford the cost of London prices.
He began earning a living as a drawing master by the sale of sketches and drawings, and through painting portraits. This income allowed him to return to London, becoming successful in showing his first picture at the Royal Academy in 1833, beginning a long and prolific career as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy and British Institution. In 1845 he was inducted into the retinue of the great masters, becoming a member of the Royal Academy.
Moving incircles which includes significant figures of the time such as Charles Dickens and JMW Turner, he soon became a highly regarded figure in the Victorian art world, especially among collectors of animal paintings, and was even commissioned by Queen Victoria to paint a prize bull.
Having lived a full and long life, Cooper was the oldest member of The Royal Academy of Arts at the time of the accession of King Edward VII in 1901. Cooper was received by the King in July 1901 and appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO).
Thomas Sidney cooper not only elevated animal painting in British art, he also shaped the way the English countryside was viewed, and influenced generations of artists who followed in his footsteps. Today, his works are admired not only for their naturalism and beauty but also for their lasting reflection of a simpler, pastoral way of life.
This remarkable example of his work will undoubtedly attract much attention at auction, and will be offered on the 30th January 2025. With an estimate of £5,000-£8,000, this is a rare opportunity to own a masterpiece by one of the finest landscape artists of the 19th century.
By Harriet Guildford
