This charming mid-19th-century watercolour by British artist Thomas Sidney Cooper RA (1803-1902) depicts two sheep and a cow in a landscape. Cooper was a distinguished British painter of landscapes, animals and portraits who became one of the foremost masters of his genre despite facing extraordinary circumstances. He was affectionately known as “Cow Cooper”.Born in Canterbury, Kent, his 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 so...