Sharing the hay

Having made his reputation painting the most celebrated racehorses of the early nineteenth-century, Herring developed his subject matter towards the end of his career to include narrative subjects depicting horses and farmyard scenes such as the present lot. While quite different from his early work, these pictures proved to be immensely popular. By circa 1850, when this picture most probably painted, Herring had been appointed painter to the Duchess of Kent, and had received commissions from Queen Victoria.

A similar version of this composition was sold as lot 79, Christie's, London, 23 November 2005.