Thomas Sidney Cooper, R.A.

Bought by Mr L. Ducote on behalf of a private collector in Paris;
William Bishop, of Devonport; his sale,
C.Wharton Auction, Hall of the Athenaeum, Plymouth, 30 August 1843;
Bought by the father of the present owner c.1950

Royal Academy, 1842, no.328

The Times, 6 May 1842
The Art-Union, June 1842; p.124
The Literary Gazette and Journal of the Belles Lettres, 1842; p.523
Thomas Sidney Cooper, My Life, 1891, pp.391
K.J. Westwood, Thomas Sidney Cooper, His Life and Work, 2011, Vol.1, pp.221-2, Ref: O.1842.1

STRUCTURE The canvas has been relined. There is a faint craquelue pattern across the surface. There is a small area of paint loss, approx. 2 by 1cm., to the brown and white cow standing behind the goat in the water on the left. There are also some surface abrasions across the canvas, the most significant of these being: on the left-hand side of the largest mountain and another in the sky just above this; in the river below the central black coloured cow, and across the front left leg of the light brown cow to the right of the central white bull. These do not visually detract from the picture as a whole, which appears in good overall condition. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV light reveals scattered areas of retouching in the sky, mainly about the edges; in an area near the upper left corner, and to the above mentioned abrasion by the mountain. There is an area of sweeping retouching along the lower left edge and scattered retouchings throughout the foreground, including the above mentioned abrasions, and also in other places across the canvas. FRAME Held in original exhibition frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Executed on a monumental canvas, An Intercepted Raid - Ettrick Shepherd is a wonderfully dramatic depiction of life in the borders in the seventeenth century as described in the poetry of James Hogg, a tenant farmer in the Borders who, with help of his employer James Laidlaw of Blackhouse, learned to write and became known as the Ettrick Shepherd.  Border raiders, or reivers, were made up of both English and Scots and they raided farmers regardless of nationality.  Using small, light ponies that could pick their way through boggy marshland, they were considered some of the most accomplished cavalrymen in Europe.  They wore light armour and plate helmets, a costume clearly visible on the central figure on the grey horse in the present work.  This headgear gave rise to another sobriquet 'the steel bonnets'. 

Cooper's composition, although vast, is remarkably controlled drawing the viewer's gaze from the standoff between the meticulously detailed bull and dog in the foreground through to the heated skirmish in the middle distance.  The sense of drama and conflict, reminiscent of Sir Edwin Landseer, is enforced by the majestic backdrop of the border mountains, and the gathering storm which rolls across them completes one of Cooper's most accomplished, rare and impressive paintings.

We are grateful to Kenneth Westwood for his assistance in cataloguing this work.