The edge of a common

In an unpublished letter dated January 25, 1931, Sir Charles Holmes wrote 'since no catalogue seems to mention this exceptional effort, we must conclude that, like certain other works by Crome, it was still incomplete at the time of the painter's sudden death, and that certain passages were subsequently finished by another hand.' Sir Charles dated the painting to c. 1815, and suggested an artist who had studied in Dutch cattle-painters - probably someone in Norwich School - as the author of these additions. Colins Baker (op. cit., 1932) similarly felt that the cattle had been "lifted" from a Dutch picture and dated the painting to c. 1812. Norman Goldberg (op. cit., 1978) followed Baker's dating and assessment that the staffage was by another hand, noting that with the exception of some repainting in the sky, "[t]he remainder of the landscape is by Crome, with its design reminiscent of the City of Norwich Museum's pencil drawing of Woodland Scene and with stylistic resemblances to The Way through the Woods [City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, England]."