Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 13

Thomas Sidney Cooper
19th Century landscape animal oil painting of cattle & sheep by a river

1894

About the Item

Thomas Sidney Cooper British, (1803-1902) Canterbury Meadows Oil on canvas, signed & dated ‘T. Sidney Cooper RA/1894 Image size: 14.75 inches x 24.75 inches Size including frame: 21.5 inches x 31.5 inches Thomas Sidney Cooper was born in St Peter’s Street, Canterbury on 26 September 1803 to William and Sarah Cooper. He was christened Thomas Cooper and at some point adopted Sydney or Sidney as his middle name. At the age of 12 he started working as a coach painter and later a scene painter, continuing to draw and paint in his spare time. When he was 21 he was helped by his uncle to move to London and study at the Royal Academy. However, he didn’t complete the course and returned to Canterbury. Shortly afterwards in 1824, he travelled to Brussels where he met Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven who had a great influence on his work. He also met and married Charlotte Pearson the daughter of a mathematician. After the revolution broke out they returned to London in 1831 where Cooper started selling paintings of the cattle that he sketched at Smithfield Market. The couple lived at Portland Terrace, St John’s Wood and together had four children. His son Thomas George Cooper (1836-1901) became an artist and also his great nephew William Sidney Cooper (1854-1927) both of whom he taught. In 1833 he made his debut at the Royal Academy, where he continued to exhibit regularly until his death. He also exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists and the British Institution between 1833 and 1863. He was elected ARA in 1845 and RA in 1867. From the early 1840’s he lived at 16 Wellington Terrace, until the 1850’s when he moved to 2 Dorset Square, Regent’s Park. He continued to live there for over 10 years until he moved to 42 Chepstow Villas, Bayswater. Around 1849, he had a second house built in Harbledown, Canterbury and named it Vernon Holme after his patron and from where he would also paint and exhibit. Cooper specialised in paintings of cattle or sheep, which earned him the nickname of 'Cow Cooper'. He became one of the most accomplished and successful animal landscape painters of the 19th century. He built Alms Houses in Canterbury and in 1882 set up the Canterbury Sidney Cooper School of Art. In July 1901, he was awarded the Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO). Cooper died at Harbledown, Canterbury on 7 February 1902 and was buried at St Martin Churchyard. Examples of his work can be found at the Royal Museum in Canterbury, Tate Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Atkinson Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum, Brighton and Hove Museum, Northampton Museum Sheffield Museum and other public collections. Canterbury Meadows was a subject he painted on many occasions and would have known very well. With the River Stour running through it, the location provided local farmers with the ideal grazing ground and watering for their cattle and sheep. The church in the distance with its distinctive spire is most likely to be the church of St Mary the Virgin at Fordwich which still stands today. Presentation: The painting is housed in a new, English made gilt frame which is in excellent condition. Condition: As with all of our original antique oil paintings, this work is offered in ready to hang gallery condition, having just been professionally cleaned, restored and revarnished. © Benton Fine Art
  • Creator:
    Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803 - 1902, British)
  • Creation Year:
    1894
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Nr Broadway, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU15627303022

More From This Seller

View All
19th Century landscape oil painting of sheep grazing on a clifftop
By Charles Jones (b.1836)
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Charles Jones British, (1836-1892) Sheep Grazing on a Cliff Top Oil on canvas, signed with monogram Image size: 7.5 inches x 11.5 inches Size including frame: 13.5 inches x 17.5 inches A lovely landscape painting of sheep on a coastal cliff by Charles ‘Sheep’ Jones. The sheep and her two lambs are depicted against the backdrop of the sea with shipping and chalk cliffs in the distance. The location is likely to be the Devon coast, an area Jones visited often. Charles Jones was an animal painter who was born in Stepney, London in 1836. He was the son of the artist Samuel John Egbert Jones (1797-1861) and Dinah Jones. He lived with his parents and 9 siblings in Mile End and was a pupil of his father. In September 1859, he married Frances Rosalinda Downe, who was born in America. His son Arthur Bertram Loud (1863-1930) also became an artist. They lived at 12 Hayes Place, Lisson Grove from where he made his debut in London at the Royal Academy in 1861. He also exhibited at the British Institution, Suffolk Street, New Watercolour Society, Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours. By 1867, he had become a successful artist and had moved to 7 Paragon Place, Brixton Hill. From 1874, he lived at Heathercroft, Balham Hill where he spent the rest of his life. As well as the major London galleries, he also exhibited provincially at various locations including: the Royal Cambrian Academy where he was elected a member in 1886, the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts, Manchester City Art Gallery, Royal Hibernian Academy, Royal Society of British Artists, Birmingham and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. Some of the smaller more intimate galleries he exhibited at were Arthur Tooth & Sons and Thomas Richardson...
Category

19th Century Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

19th Century animal oil painting of calves & ducks at a river
By Claude Cardon
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Claude Cardon British, (1864-1937) Farm Friends Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 13.5 inches x 20.5 inches Size including frame: 19.25 inches x 26.25 inches A tranquil scene of ca...
Category

19th Century Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century landscape oil painting of a shepherd & flock in a country lane
By George Turner
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
George Turner British, (1843-1910) Near Tonge, Leicestershire Oil on canvas, signed Image size: 15.25 inches x 23.25 inches Size including frame: 22.75 inches x 30.75 inches A cha...
Category

19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Horse portrait oil painting of a chestnut mare in a landscape
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Thomas Percy Earl British, (1874-1947) Bunty Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1915 & inscribed ‘Bunty’ Image size: 21.25 inches x 26.25 inches Size including frame: 27.75 inches x 32.7...
Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Highland landscape oil painting of cattle by a loch near Killin
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Henry Deacon Hillier British, (1858-1930) Near Killin, Perthshire Oil on canvas, signed, inscribed verso Image size: 27.25 inches x 21.25 inches Size including frame: 35 inches x 29...
Category

19th Century Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th Century Scottish landscape oil painting of Highland cattle at Glen Goil
By William Watson
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
William Watson Jnr British, (1847-1921) Up Glen Goil, West Highlands Oil on canvas, signed & dated 1892, further inscribed verso Image size: 23.5 inches x 35.5 inches Size including frame: 36.25 inches x 48.25 inches This highly atmospheric and well executed painting by William Watson Jnr depicts Highland Cattle watering at Glen Goil. Glen Goil is a valley area of Argyll and Bute in the West Highlands. It is situated at the junction of Hell’s Glen and Gleann Mor and has the river Goil flowing through. Located around 2 miles from Lochgoilhead, it is well known as an area of outstanding natural beauty. Watson made several trips to the Highlands and produced a number of paintings of the locality, many of which included highland cattle such as this fine example. Another painting by him of Glen Goil is held by the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool. William Watson was born in Islington in 1847, the son of the London miniature painter William John Watson (1810-1871) and his wife Caroline (née Butcher). His brothers Charles Watson (1837-1900) and Robert Watson (1855-1921) were also artists. His father seems to have travelled around and after spending time in Brighton, the family moved to Bransford Road in Worcester during the early part of the 1860’s. As well as being taught by his father, Watson received his early training in the studio of Sir Francis Grant PRA (1803-1878). He later became a pupil of Sir Edwin Henry Landseer RA (1802-1873) and Rosa Bonheur (1822–1899). Both Landseer and Bonheur had a great influence on his work and he began specialising in scenes of cattle and sheep. By 1866 he had become a full time artist and began exhibiting at the Royal Society of British Artists. Perhaps to take advantage of the inspiring scenery, Watson moved to Birkenhead, Cheshire where in 1871 he met and married Eleanor Davies who was from Caernarvonshire. Four of their children Sidney Watson (1881-1931), Caroline Ellen Watson (1871-1947), William Robert Charles Watson (1873-1928) and Walter James Watson...
Category

19th Century Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

You May Also Like

English 19th century forest landscape with horses in the New Forest Hampshire UK
By William Bradley
Located in Woodbury, CT
English landscape painter from the 1870's who exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institute in London. He mostly painted in watercolors and this example would have been p...
Category

1860s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

English 19th century Landscape with children on a pathway picking flowers
By Henry Hadfield Cubley
Located in Woodbury, CT
19th century English landscape of Children picking flowers in a field or meadow. Henry Hadfield Cubley was born in Newark, Nottinghamshire in 1858. Henry was the nephew of William C...
Category

1890s Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

William F Burchell, Original oil painting of chickens in a farmyard
Located in Harkstead, GB
An idyllic scene of chickens feeding in a famryard with old outbuildings and a patch of blue sky beyond. William f Burchell (exhibiting 1909-1937) A farmyard scene Signed Oil on can...
Category

Late 19th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century oil Highland Scottish sheep in a Highland Lock Landscape
Located in Woodbury, CT
19th century Scottish Highland Sheep in a landscape. A Scottish 19th century Highland landscape painting featuring Highland sheep by Vincent Collier offers more than just aesthetic ...
Category

1890s Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

19th century English Antique horse racing scene in a landscape with Jockey up
By John Frederick Herring Sr.
Located in Woodbury, CT
19th century English Antique Horse racing scene in a landscape with Jockey up. Wonderful and very well painted English Horse Racing scene. Simil...
Category

1840s Victorian Animal Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fox and Cubs In Woodland Signed British Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Alan King, British Artist (1946- 2003) signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 27 x 37 inches canvas: 20 x 30 inches provenance: UK collection The painting is ...
Category

20th Century Victorian Landscape Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Recently Viewed

View All