Sheep and a horse on a sunny afternoon

Following the example of his older brother, Friedrich Gauermann (1807-1862) devoted his life to the arts and not to agriculture as his father - the landscape painter Jacob Gauermann (1773-1843) - had wished. At the academy and the Courtyard Library of Vienna the artist copied the works of his predecessors in animal painting and carefully studied the landscapes. This training contributed to the mastery Gauermann attained in painting these specific subjects. In 1824, two animal pictures exhibited at the Vienna exhibition were highly acclaimed and led directly to two important commissions. One commission was granted by Prince Metternich in 1825 and the other by the French ambassador in 1826. His reputation greatly increased in 1829 by his seminal painting The Storm. From that time his works were very much sought after and obtained correspondingly high prices. His Field Labourer was regarded by many as the most noteworthy picture in the Vienna exhibition of 1834, and his numerous animal pieces such as the present painting have entitled him to be ranked amongst the most accomplished animal painters of his time.
All of Gauermann's exceptional talent is tangible in the present lot: the musculature of the horse and the immaculate grooming are brilliantly observed, as is the soft light that descends on the sheep's head and the shiny coat of the horse. These individual examples of Gauermann's talent are seamlessly absorbed into the overall composition, using soft colours and delicate brushstrokes.

In Gauermanns personal records from 1853 a preparatory sketch for the present lot, is listed as number 241, Ein weidendes Pferd mit ein paar liegende Schafen; links eine Bauernhutte (fig 1). This work was sold to Count St. Genois for 230 fl.K.M. The fact that a simple study was sold to a contemporary emphasises Gauermann's success in his own time.