Thomas Sidney Cooper (English, 1803-1902), The Flock

Oil on canvas, signed at lower left, 1884-1896 period stencil for the artists' suppliers Geo. Rowney & Co., presented in a period frame.

30 1/4 x 50 1/2 in.; Frame dimensions 44 x 64 1/4 in.

Thomas Sidney Cooper was a prominent British painter known for his depictions of cattle and livestock in pastoral landscapes, earning him the nickname “Cow Cooper” during his lifetime. Born in Canterbury, he received formal training at the Royal Academy Schools in London. A key formative period occurred in the 1820s when he lived in Brussels, where the animal painter Eugène Verboeckhoven influenced his approach to the careful study of livestock. Upon returning to England, Cooper established himself as a specialist in rural subjects, focusing particularly on cattle and sheep set within expansive countryside views.

Cooper regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1833 onward. In 1867 he founded the Sidney Cooper School of Art in Canterbury, which contributed to regional artistic training for decades.

Yellowed varnish and surface grime; faint stretcher marks; later gold paint and varnish to frame.