Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 103 works by Thomas Sidney Cooper in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Thomas Sidney Cooper left, the most famous is An Evening Drink (1897), in the collection of the Bolton Museum And Art Gallery, Bolton. Close behind it come An Evening Scene (1852) and Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury (1834). Our catalog holds 103 works by Thomas Sidney Cooper; the gallery has kept the 99 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
The quietude of the pastoral world finds a steady presence in An Evening Drink. Painted by Thomas Sidney Cooper, this work captures a fleeting moment of rest within the natural landscape. The scene unfolds with a sense of stillness, as if the day is exhaling its final warmth. It is a piece that invites a slow gaze, drawing the viewer into a tranquil setting where the rhythm of life follows…
The sun hangs low, casting a heavy, amber glow over a quiet corner of the English countryside. Beneath the twisted, skeletal limbs of a gnarled tree, three cattle rest in the tall grass. Their bodies catch the fading light, creating bright, sharp edges against the deepening shadows of the landscape. The air feels thick and warm, saturated with the colors of ochre and sepia. It is a moment of stillness,…
Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury is a work by Thomas Sidney Cooper, executed in 1834. This piece reflects the early period of an artist who would eventually become a celebrated figure within the Royal Academy. The painting captures a quiet moment in the landscape, rooted in the specific geography of the artist's origins.
In "The Home Farm" by Thomas Sidney Cooper, a quiet moment in the English countryside unfolds under a soft, diffused light. Created about 1844, the scene brings together a gathering of farm animals seeking shelter beneath a heavy, thatched roof. The air feels still, as if an overcast sky has paused the movement of the day. Sheep cluster in the foreground, their thick, white wool catching the gentle light, while…
In Sheep In The Isle of Skye, Thomas Sidney Cooper directs our attention toward a large group of sheep that occupies the foreground and midground. These animals rest upon a rugged, rocky outcrop, their presence grounding the composition against the wilder elements of the landscape. The perspective is a low-angle view, looking upward toward the cliffside, which emphasizes the scale of the terrain. This viewpoint creates a sense of height,…
In An Evening Repose by Thomas Sidney Cooper, a tranquil pastoral scene unfolds at the quiet hour of dusk. The air feels heavy with the stillness of the fading day as a herd of cattle and sheep graze peacefully across a wide field. These animals move through the grass with a slow, rhythmic grace, their presence grounding the landscape in a moment of profound rest. It is a quintessential depiction…
In the quietude of 1888, Thomas Sidney Cooper captures a moment of rural stillness in his work, Cattle and Sheep in a Landscape. This English landscape painter brings a sense of life to the pastoral scene, focusing his attention on the steady, rhythmic existence of livestock. The animals occupy the heart of the view, existing in a space where the air feels heavy with the scent of damp earth and…
The quietude of the English countryside finds its voice in The Lord Of The Pastures, a work by the artist Thomas Sidney Cooper. Within this scene, the pastoral life of the nineteenth century remains suspended in a moment of stillness. Thomas Sidney Cooper, who lived from 1803 to 1902, brings a specific, grounded presence to the meadow through his depiction of the animals that inhabit it.
In the quietude of a rolling landscape, Sheep in a Pasture brings a moment of rural stillness to life. This oil painting by Thomas Sidney Cooper captures a flock of sheep resting upon a grassy hill, their forms nestled under a dramatic, cloudy sky. The scene unfolds with a sense of peace, as the animals cluster in the foreground and middle ground, leading the eye toward a distant, soft horizon.…
Cattle by a river1835 · Fitzwilliam Museum
12
The Entrance to Carisbrooke Castle1837 · Royal Collection
13
Cattle in a Stream1841 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
14
Cattle reposing (1846)1846 · Fitzwilliam Museum
15
The Victoria Cow1848 · Royal Collection
16
The Halt on the Hills1847 · Sheffield City Art Galleries
17
Goats and Kids in a Shed1846 · Nottingham City Museums And Galleries
18
Mountain Sheep1845
19
Mountain Sheep (also known as Morning Mist Clearing Off)1846 · Nottingham Castle Museum And Art Gallery
20
In the Meadows of Fordwich1840
21
Cattle1850 · Reading Public Museum
22
Landscape with Cows and Sheep1850
23
The Evening Drink in the Canterbury Meadows1851 · Russell
24
In the Whitehall Meadows, Canterbury, Kent1854 · Sheffield City Art Galleries
25
Mountain Sheep1862 · Touchstones Rochdale Arts And Heritage Centre
26
In the Canterbury Meadows1863 · Wolverhampton Art Gallery
27
Heat Showers in August1857 · Manchester Art Gallery
28
Midday Repose1866 · Laing Art Gallery
29
Milking Time in the Meadows1869
30
Morning, Canterbury Meadows, Kent1869 · Sheffield City Art Galleries
31
In the Kentish Meadows1868
32
Five Cows in a Landscape1874 · Kingston Lacy
33
A Group of Cattle1877
34
Landscape with Cattle and Sheep1875 · Йоркський художній музей
35
Landscape with Cattle and Fowl1874 · Wolverhampton Art Gallery
36
Clearing the Wood for the Iron Way1880
37
Landscape with Cows1881
38
Landscape with cattle1890 · National Library of Wales
39
Fordwich Meadows, Canterbury, Kent1889 · Victoria Art Gallery
40
Study of a Working Horse1900 · Yale Center for British Art
41
Village Landscape (from McGuire Scrapbook)
42
Farm Landscape
43
A Cow and Two Sheep
44
The Rustic Foot Bath
45
A Shepherd With His Flock
46
Milking Time - Study of a Farm-Yard near Canterbury
47
Gathering CloudsAmgueddfa Cymru
48
The Chill of Winter
49
Cattle Resting By A Brook
50
Waiting for the Ferry
51
April Showers
52
Inquiring for the Tilbury Ferry
53
Summer Evening
54
In the Highlands
55
Four Sheep1874 · Wolverhampton Art Gallery
56
Cattle and Sheep at a Watering Place
57
Landscape and Cattle
58
The Lowland Herd
59
Sheep In An Extensive Landscape
60
Sheep In Winter
61
A Cow And Sheep On The Cliffs
62
The Church Meadows
63
Sheep At Pasture
64
Cows In A Meadow 1
65
A Cow With Sheep In A Landscape
66
Leader benjamin williams tintern abbey moonlight on the wye
67
Canterbury Meadows
68
Among the Cumberland Mountains - Mist Clearing Off
69
In The Highlands
70
Cattle resting beside a river
71
Evening In The Meadows
72
Dairy Cows Resting
73
Cattle Wattering
74
Sheep In A Winter Landscape
75
Cattle Watering
76
Rams And A Bull In A Highland Landscape
77
Cattle Sheep and Goats
78
Cattle Resting
79
Cows in a Meadow
80
In The Canterbury Meadows
81
Cattle and Sheep Resting in an Extensive Landscape
82
Landscape with Sheep
83
Highland Cattle by a StreamSunnycroft
84
Landscape with SheepAmgueddfa Cymru
85
A Wooded Ford
86
LandscapeGrundy Art Gallery
87
Cattle and Sheep in a Field
88
Near Canterbury. a Boy on a Donkey driving Cattle along a Road, the Cathedral beyond
89
Sheep in the Highlands
90
A Bull and Cow with Two Sheep and Goat
91
A Farm in Kent
92
Friesian Bull in a LandscapeOwletts
93
Cattle and Sheep Probably in Canterbury Meadows
94
CATTLE GRAZING IN CANTERBURY MEADOWS
95
Sheep In Canterbury Water Meadows
96
Peasants and Sheep
97
Meadows Near Canterbury
98
Landscape with a Flock of Sheep Resting
99
Sheep in a Moorland Landscape
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Thomas Sidney Cooper | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sheffield City Art Galleries |
Sheffield | 3 | The Halt on the Hills, In the Whitehall Meadows, Canterbury, Kent, Morning, Canterbury Meadows, Kent |
 Wolverhampton Art Gallery |
Wolverhampton | 3 | In the Canterbury Meadows, Landscape with Cattle and Fowl, Four Sheep |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 2 | Landscape With Cattle And Sheep, Cattle in a Stream |
 Fitzwilliam Museum |
2 | Cattle by a river, Cattle reposing (1846) | |
 Royal Collection |
London | 2 | The Entrance to Carisbrooke Castle, The Victoria Cow |
 Amgueddfa Cymru |
Cardiff | 2 | Gathering Clouds, Landscape with Sheep |
 Bolton Museum And Art Gallery |
Bolton | 1 | An Evening Drink |
 Wallace Collection |
London | 1 | An Evening Scene |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury is a work by Thomas Sidney Cooper, executed in 1834. This piece reflects the early period of an artist who would eventually become a celebrated figure within the Royal Academy. The painting captures a quiet moment in the landscape, rooted in the specific geography of the artist's origins.
In "The Home Farm" by Thomas Sidney Cooper, a quiet moment in the English countryside unfolds under a soft, diffused light. Created about 1844, the scene brings together a gathering of farm animals seeking shelter beneath a heavy, thatched roof. The air feels still, as if an overcast sky has paused the movement of the day. Sheep cluster in the foreground, their thick, white wool catching the gentle light, while…
The sun hangs low, casting a heavy, amber glow over a quiet corner of the English countryside. Beneath the twisted, skeletal limbs of a gnarled tree, three cattle rest in the tall grass. Their bodies catch the fading light, creating bright, sharp edges against the deepening shadows of the landscape. The air feels thick and warm, saturated with the colors of ochre and sepia. It is a moment of stillness,…
In Sheep In The Isle of Skye, Thomas Sidney Cooper directs our attention toward a large group of sheep that occupies the foreground and midground. These animals rest upon a rugged, rocky outcrop, their presence grounding the composition against the wilder elements of the landscape. The perspective is a low-angle view, looking upward toward the cliffside, which emphasizes the scale of the terrain. This viewpoint creates a sense of height,…
The quietude of the pastoral world finds a steady presence in An Evening Drink. Painted by Thomas Sidney Cooper, this work captures a fleeting moment of rest within the natural landscape. The scene unfolds with a sense of stillness, as if the day is exhaling its final warmth. It is a piece that invites a slow gaze, drawing the viewer into a tranquil setting where the rhythm of life follows…
An Evening Drink (1897), Bolton Museum And Art Gallery, Bolton. An Evening Scene (1852) and Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury (1834) come next.
94 years old: An Evening Drink dates from 1897, and Thomas Sidney Cooper was born in 1803.
An Evening Drink, An Evening Scene, Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury, The Home Farm, Sheep In The Isle of Skye, An Evening Repose, Cattle and Sheep in a Landscape, The Lord Of The Pastures, Sheep in a Pasture and Landscape With Cattle And Sheep. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 103 works by Thomas Sidney Cooper, dated from 1834 to 1900.
Mostly in Sheffield City Art Galleries (Sheffield), Wolverhampton Art Gallery (Wolverhampton) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1840s: 9 of the 99 works on this page were made then, The Home Farm among them.
On this page, the earliest is Fording a brook, suburbs of Canterbury (1834) and the latest Study of a Working Horse (1900).
Animals (22), Landscape (19) and Rural landscape (14), across the 99 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 7 of the 99 works on this page.
Romanticism, judging by the originals on this page.
The Halt on the Hills, In the Whitehall Meadows, Canterbury, Kent and Morning, Canterbury Meadows, Kent: the Sheffield City Art Galleries, Sheffield holds 3 of the works on this page.
In the heart of the English countryside, where the rolling hills of Canterbury meet the soft light of the Kentish sky, the spirit of Thomas Sidney Cooper lives on through his canvases. Known affectionately by his contemporaries as the "cow cooper," Cooper was far more than a mere painter of livestock; he was a poet of the pastoral, a man who possessed the rare ability to breathe life into the silent, grazing masses of sheep and cattle. Born in 1803, his journey began not in the grand studios of London, but through the humble, disciplined observation of nature. Even as a young apprentice to a coach painter at age twelve, his eyes were constantly searching for the subtle textures of the earth and the rhythmic movement of animals, a habit of sketching from life that would eventually define the very essence of his professional identity.
The trajectory of Cooper’s career was marked by a profound transition from local craftsman to a celebrated figure within the Royal Academy. His move to London in his early twenties allowed him to immerse himself in the intellectual and artistic currents of the British Museum, providing him with the historical depth necessary to elevate his work beyond simple realism. While he maintained a deep connection to his roots in Canterbury—serving as a drawing-master and finding stability in the local landscape—it was his ability to blend the rugged reality of rural life with a romanticized, atmospheric grandeur that secured his place in the Victorian canon. His technique was characterized by a deliberate, masterful layering of brushstrokes, creating a sense of depth and moisture in the air that made his landscapes feel as though they were breathing.
One of the most fascinating chapters in Cooper’s career was his enduring artistic partnership with Frederick Richard Lee. This collaboration allowed for a unique synthesis of styles that became a hallmark of mid-Victorian landscape painting. While Lee focused on the sweeping, monumental vistas and the dramatic architecture of the natural world, Cooper provided the soul of the composition through his meticulous rendering of animals. This synergy is perhaps most brilliantly realized in their shared masterpiece, “The Defeat of Kellermann’s Cuirassiers,” a monumental work commemorating the Battle of Waterloo. In this piece, the grandeur of the landscape meets the poignant, detailed presence of the animals, creating a narrative that is both epic in scale and intimate in detail.
Beyond the grand historical commissions, Cooper’s true passion lay in the quiet moments of rural existence. His works, such as “Cattle and Sheep Resting in an Extensive Landscape,” serve as windows into a vanishing era of English pastoralism. Through his eyes, we see:
As the Victorian era progressed, Cooper’s work stood as a testament to the enduring beauty of the English landscape amidst the encroaching shadows of the Industrial Revolution. He captured a sense of peace and permanence that resonated deeply with a society undergoing rapid change. His prolific output and consistent presence at the Royal Academy earned him critical acclaim and a lasting reputation as a master of the animalier genre. Even today, his paintings are celebrated not just for their technical precision, but for their ability to evoke a profound emotional connection to the land.
The legacy of Thomas Sidney Cooper is one of dedication to the small, often overlooked details of the natural world. He taught us that there is as much majesty in the steady gaze of a sheep as there is in the most dramatic mountain range. Through his "cow cooper" depictions, he preserved the dignity of rural life, ensuring that the tranquil, pastoral beauty of 19th-century England would remain eternally vibrant for generations to come.
