Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 498 works by David Cox in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals David Cox left, the most famous is Going to the Hayfield (1850). Close behind it come George IV Embarking for Scotland at Greenwich (1823) and Going to the Hayfield (1849). Our catalog holds 498 works by David Cox; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The scene unfolds in "Going to the Hayfield," a work created by the artist David Cox. In this 1849 composition, the quiet rhythms of rural life take center stage. Figures move through the landscape, their presence tied to the seasonal tasks of the countryside. The air feels heavy with the atmosphere of a specific afternoon, capturing a moment of simple, everyday activity within the English landscape.
The watercolor depicts a bustling maritime scene at Greenwich, centered on the ceremonial embarkation of George IV for Scotland. Numerous vessels occupy the water, some positioned near the shore and others further out. These boats carry various figures, and several are adorned with flags. On the banks, crowds of people gather to observe the event, some standing near the water's edge while others remain further back. A horse is visible…
David Cox's "Going to the Hayfield," painted in 1849, isn’t merely a landscape; it’s a carefully constructed distillation of Romantic sensibility and a profound connection to the English countryside. This evocative piece, now beautifully reproduced, transports us to a specific moment – a quiet afternoon as figures journey towards a hayfield bathed in the diffused light of an overcast sky. Cox, a pivotal figure bridging the gap between earlier landscape…
David Cox’s “Rhyl Sands,” painted in 1854, isn't merely a depiction of a beach; it’s a carefully constructed evocation of the Romantic spirit – a yearning for the sublime beauty and untamed power of nature. Cox, a pivotal figure within the Birmingham School of watercolourists, masterfully captures a fleeting moment along the Welsh coast, imbuing the scene with an atmosphere of both tranquility and dramatic intensity. The painting transports us…
In this intimate watercolor study, titled Study of a Dog, the viewer encounters a quiet moment of observation. The subject is a single dog, an animal captured in a state of repose. David Cox, a British artist who lived from 1783 to 1859, brings a sense of immediacy to this piece. The work emerges from the 1840s, a period when the artist's hand moved with increasing freedom. It belongs to…
In the vast tapestry of English landscape painting, few works capture the ephemeral beauty of the countryside with as much soul as David Cox’s The Skylark. Created in 1849, this masterpiece serves as a profound window into a serene, pastoral era, inviting the viewer to pause and breathe in the quietude of the rural landscape. The painting presents a sprawling field of grass that stretches toward a distant, hazy horizon,…
There is a certain gravity in how the sky meets the sea in this 1813 work. The composition draws the eye along a diagonal path, moving from the heavy, dark presence of the cliffs in the foreground toward a lighter, mist-filled horizon. It is a scene of movement and tension, where the elements of sea, sky, and stone are caught in a moment of profound unrest. The palette relies on…
The watercolor painting titled The Old Bridge at Bridgnorth, Shropshire, captures a quiet moment in the English countryside. Created by David Cox in 1809, the work presents a view of a small town nestled along the curves of a river. The scene focuses on the architecture of the bridge as it spans the water, anchoring the landscape within its natural setting.
The air feels heavy and damp, thick with the scent of wet earth and the promise of rain. In this hazy landscape, a vast cornfield stretches toward a soft, clouded horizon, its breadth emphasized by long, horizontal strokes of ochre and muted green. Figures move through the middle ground, their forms softened by the mist, tending to a cart pulled by horses. There is a rhythmic, slow quality to their…
The scene unfolds in the heart of a bustling Parisian street, captured in the work titled Near the Pont d'Arcole, Paris. This watercolor painting brings us into a moment of urban life, where the architecture of the city meets the movement of its people. The artist, David Cox, directs our gaze toward the structures and the atmosphere of the streets near the Pont d'Arcole.
Pont Neuf from the Quai de l'Ecole, Paris1829
12
Place du Palais Royal, Paris1829 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
13
The Welsh Funeral1848 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
14
Untitled (AQTKGL)1853
15
The Cross Roads1850 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
16
Rhyl Sands1854 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
17
Scene in a Lane1858
18
Beach Scene Sunrise1820 · Yale Center for British Art
19
Fishing off Hastings1810 · Yale Center for British Art
20
The Junction of the Severn and the Wye with Chepstow in the Distance1830 · Yale Center for British Art
21
The Wyndcliff, River Wye1842 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
22
German Der Strand von Rhyl1854 · Manchester Art Gallery
23
Left at a Girls' School1812 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
24
Lake Scene, North Wales1811 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
25
A View of Westminster Bridge, Looking West towards Lambeth Palace and Westminster Abbey1811
26
In Windsor Park1807
27
Westminster from Lambeth1813
28
Sunset, Hastings: Beached Fishing Vessels1811
29
Gipsies on Dulwich Common1808 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
30
Pastoral Scene in Herefordshire1820
31
Lugg Meadows, near Hereford1817
32
Tour d'Horloge, Rouen1829
33
The Opening of the New London Bridge1831
34
St. Mary's Church and the Shire Hall, Warwick1828
35
Place St. Barthélemy, Rouen1829
36
Carthage: Aeneas and Achates1825
37
Junction of the Severn and the Wye with a Rainbow1827
38
Dockyard - Building a Sloop1823
39
Still LIfe: Basket, Foxgloves, Clothes and Other Objects1823 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
40
A View of the Pavillon de Flore and the Tuileries from the Seine, Notre Dame, Paris1829
41
Hay on Wye1824
42
Porte St. Denis, Paris1829
43
Pirates' Isle1826
44
Pavillon de Flore, Tuileries, Paris1830
45
St. Eustache, Paris1829
46
Handsworth Old Church, Birmingham1828
47
Ulverston Sands1835 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
48
Crossing Lancaster Sands1835
49
Street in Beauvais1832
50
The Pont des Arts with the Louvre and Tuileries from the Quai Conti1838
51
The Long Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire1839
52
The Poplar Avenue, after Hobbema1835
53
The Long Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire1839
54
Going Out Hawking1838
55
Peace and War: Lympne Church and Castle1838 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
56
A Terrace, with Figures, Haddon Hall1834 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
57
Windermere during the Regatta1832
58
Rhaiadr Cwm, North Wales1836
59
Pass of Llanberis, Caernarvonshire, Wales1836
60
The Long Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire1839 · Chatsworth House
61
Crossing Lancaster Sands1840
62
View near Bettws-y-Coed1846 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
63
On Lancaster Sands, Low Tide1840
64
Vale of Clwyd1848
65
Near Knaresborough1844
66
A Welsh Road1846
67
The Vale of Dolwyddelan1846
68
A Country Track Leading to Harlech Castle1842
69
Carreg Cennan Castle1844
70
Cottage Interior1840 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
71
Outskirts of a Wood, with Gypsies1843
72
Vale of Clwyd1846
73
Going to the Hayfield1853 · Yale Center for British Art
74
On the Medway1850
75
Horses Drinking1855
76
A Mountain Torrent1850
77
Flying the Kite1853
78
On Carrington Moss, Cheshire1851
79
Mountain Heights, Cader Idris1850
80
Penman Bach1852
81
The Night Train1849
82
Vale of Clwyd1849
83
The Challange1853
84
Peat Gatherers1850
85
Kenilworth Castle1857 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
86
Darley Churchyard1858
87
On the Moors, near Bettws-y-Coed1856
88
Crossing the Moor1858
89
Stepping Stones, Bettws-y-Coed1857
90
Clouds1857
91
Moonlight Landscape1850 · Yale Center for British Art
92
The Night Train1849 · City Art Gallery
93
Midday Rest
94
The Thames At Battersea
95
Returning Home
96
Lancaster Sands 1
97
A Child With A Dog, Outside A Cottage
98
The Jetty, Calais
99
Young Welsh Girl
100
In The Hayfield 1
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by David Cox | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 54 | Going to the Hayfield, The Skylark, Storm off the Coast, Hastings |
 Yale Center for British Art |
New Haven | 6 | Beach Scene Sunrise, Fishing off Hastings, The Junction of the Severn and the Wye with Chepstow in the Distance |
 Tate Gallery |
London | 1 | Rhyl Sands |
 Manchester Art Gallery |
Manchester | 1 | German Der Strand von Rhyl |
 Chatsworth House |
Bakewell | 1 | The Long Gallery, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire |
 City Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 1 | The Night Train |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The watercolor painting titled The Old Bridge at Bridgnorth, Shropshire, captures a quiet moment in the English countryside. Created by David Cox in 1809, the work presents a view of a small town nestled along the curves of a river. The scene focuses on the architecture of the bridge as it spans the water, anchoring the landscape within its natural setting.
There is a certain gravity in how the sky meets the sea in this 1813 work. The composition draws the eye along a diagonal path, moving from the heavy, dark presence of the cliffs in the foreground toward a lighter, mist-filled horizon. It is a scene of movement and tension, where the elements of sea, sky, and stone are caught in a moment of profound unrest. The palette relies on…
The watercolor depicts a bustling maritime scene at Greenwich, centered on the ceremonial embarkation of George IV for Scotland. Numerous vessels occupy the water, some positioned near the shore and others further out. These boats carry various figures, and several are adorned with flags. On the banks, crowds of people gather to observe the event, some standing near the water's edge while others remain further back. A horse is visible…
This watercolor painting depicts a landscape featuring a river with trees situated on its banks. Within the scene, several people are present; some are positioned near the water's edge, while others are located further away. A dog is also visible, lying down beside one of the individuals. The overall atmosphere of the work is peaceful and serene, capturing people enjoying their time by the river.
David Cox's "Going to the Hayfield," painted in 1849, isn’t merely a landscape; it’s a carefully constructed distillation of Romantic sensibility and a profound connection to the English countryside. This evocative piece, now beautifully reproduced, transports us to a specific moment – a quiet afternoon as figures journey towards a hayfield bathed in the diffused light of an overcast sky. Cox, a pivotal figure bridging the gap between earlier landscape…
The scene unfolds in "Going to the Hayfield," a work created by the artist David Cox. In this 1849 composition, the quiet rhythms of rural life take center stage. Figures move through the landscape, their presence tied to the seasonal tasks of the countryside. The air feels heavy with the atmosphere of a specific afternoon, capturing a moment of simple, everyday activity within the English landscape.
Going to the Hayfield (1850). George IV Embarking for Scotland at Greenwich (1823) and Going to the Hayfield (1849) come next.
67 years old: Going to the Hayfield dates from 1850, and David Cox was born in 1783.
Going to the Hayfield, George IV Embarking for Scotland at Greenwich, Going to the Hayfield, Rhyl Sands, Study of a Dog, The Skylark, Storm off the Coast, Hastings, The Old Bridge at Bridgnorth, Shropshire, Cornfield and Near the Pont d'Arcole, Paris. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 498 works by David Cox, dated from 1807 to 1858.
Mostly in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham), Yale Center for British Art (New Haven) and Tate Gallery (London). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1850s: 24 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Going to the Hayfield among them.
On this page, the earliest is In Windsor Park (1807) and the latest Scene in a Lane (1858).
Landscape (13), Sky (10) and British countryside (8), across the 100 works on this page.
Watercolor, for 13 of the 100 works on this page.
Romanticism, judging by the originals on this page.
Going to the Hayfield, The Skylark and Storm off the Coast, Hastings: the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham holds 18 of the works on this page.
