Oil Painting, 'Cow and Sheep', Thomas Sidney Cooper RA, mid 19th century

An oil painting of a cow and sheep

Bequeathed by Henry Spencer Ashbee

Bequeathed by Henry Spencer Ashbee, 1900

Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834-1900), born in London in 1834, only child of Robert Ashbee, manager of the gunpowder makers Carter and Harvey of Hounslow. Educated at schools in Esher and Kensington; apprenticed to Groucock, Copestakes, Moor and Company, warehousemen, for whom he travelled extensively for some years. Founder and senior partner of the merchants Charles Lavy and Company of London, who specialised in silks from 1871, and organised the opening of a branch in Paris 1867. Elected Fellow of the Society of Arts 1877. Travelled around the world 1881, and was the author of numerous articles, particularly on bibliographical subjects. Died Hawkhurst, Kent, 29 July 1900. He collected the finest library concerning the life and work of Cervantes outside Spain, and his bequest of watercolours and oil paintings to the V&A includes many illustrations to Don Quixote. He also assembled a library, including many humorous works, of over fifteen thousand volumes, which he bequeathed to the British Museum. He catalogued his vast collection of erotica under the title The Index of Forbidden Books. He was the father of the famous arts and crafts designer C. R. Ashbee.

Historical significance: Born in Canterbury, Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803-1902) began work as a coach-painter, but learned drawing from a local scene-painter. He was encouraged by Sir Thomas Lawrence and the animal painter Abraham Cooper, and joined the Royal Academy schools in 1823. Cooper subsequently settled in Brussels, where he met and was influenced by the Belgian painter Eugene Verboekhoven, who specialised in a kind of landscape painting based on 17th-century Dutch prototypes by artists such as Paulus Potter and Aelbert Cuyp. Cooper returned from Brussels in 1831, and from 1833 he exhibited regularly at the British Institution and in particular at the Royal Academy, where he exhibited 266 works without a break between 1833 and 1902. He was elected ARA in 1845 and RA in 1867.

Cooper's paintings were almost all of cattle (so much so that he was nicknamed 'Cow' Cooper to distinguish him from Abraham 'Horse' Cooper). He also painted animals in landscapes by other artists.

1826-1900