George Morland, British 1763-1804- The sheepdog's reward; oil on panel, signed and dated '1792' (lower left), 48.5 x 63 cm. Note: By about 1790 Morland's style was transitioning, and idealised subjects gradually began to give way to scenes from...

George Morland, British 1763-1804- The sheepdog's reward; oil on panel, signed and dated '1792' (lower left), 48.5 x 63 cm. Note: By about 1790 Morland's style was transitioning, and idealised subjects gradually began to give way to scenes from life in villages and the countryside. Indeed, the subjects of gypsies, shepherds and travellers at rest in woodland became increasingly recurrent, and the present work certainly conforms to this genre. According to Gilbey, '[Of] his human figures it may be said that the best are those painted in a restful attitude' (see Walter Gilbey, 'George Morland: His Life and Works, 1907, pp.209-210).
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