This charming early 19th-century oil painting by English artist Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787-1855) depicts a landscape with cottage, figures and cattle. It’s a fine example of his work in oils.

Twisted birch trees stretch lazily before a delicate river, which extends towards a leafy horizon. Cattle graze in the foreground. It’s an idyllic vision of the natural world, set under a backlit sky peppered with clouds. Just like the artist himself, it’s quintessentially British.

Copley Fielding treasured the scenic beauty of the British countryside and was captivated by the ever-changing effects of light and nature’s enduring appeal. Working prolifically across the Isles, he captured picturesque views from the Sussex Downs to the expansive lakes of the Highlands.

Such a charming vignette.

He exhibited 327 works at the Royal Watercolour Society and 17 paintings at the Royal Academy. Today, he’s represented in numerous public collections, including at the V&A, British Museum, Tate, Wallace Collection and Berlin National Gallery.

Held in a gilt frame, which is possibly original.

Learn more about Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 27½” x 23½” / 70cm x 60cm
Year of creation: c. 1830
Labels & Inscriptions: Roberson & Miller supplier’s stencil on the reverse, which dates to circa 1830.
Provenance: Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £21,000 for ‘Extensive View of Greenwich, London (1821)’, Watercolour, pencil, pen, brown ink, gum arabic/paper, Christie’s, British Art On Paper, London, 2003 (lot 70).
Our reference: BRV2183