This fine mid-19th-century oil painting by British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper RA (1803-1902) depicts two cows and a sheep in a landscape. Cooper was a distinguished painter of the natural world who became one of the foremost masters of his genre despite facing extraordinary circumstances. He was affectionately known as �Cow Cooper�.Illuminated by a gradually setting sun, three familiar old friends rest wearily. In the foreground, a pocket of foliage emerges from a pond, while in the distance, a sailboat navigates a tinted waterway. It�s classic Cooper, a small gathering of quietly anthropomorphic livestock, imbued with unique characteristics and rendered exquisitely.Born in Canterbury, Kent, Cooper�s early years were marked by abject poverty as his father, William Cooper, deserted the family, leaving his mother to raise five children alone. Food prices were high due to the effects of the Napoleonic War and he was encouraged to learn a gainful trade to generate much-needed income.At 12 years old, he began an apprenticeship as a coach builder, during which he was taught the basics of mixing colours. He did so while continuing to sketch from nature - escaping into the surrounding countryside at every opportunity. He also undertook numerous drawings of Canterbury Cathedral with many of these sold to the clergy and occasional passing aristocrats. In his 1890 autobiography, he recalls being provided with pencils and paper by the illustrator, George Cattermole RWS (1800-1868), who took pity on the state of his materials.Cooper was determined to persevere with his artistic pursuits, despite the wishes of his mother, and, by chance, happened to impress a local painter of theatrical scenery. Despite being gravely ill, �Mr Doyle� taught the aspiring lad, who subsequently gained work at a travelling theatre company.Following his time with the theatre, his uncle took him to London, where he first studied the sculptures at the British Museum before enrolling ...