Bull

Notes

John Miles, born in Farmington, Gloucestershire, in 1781, was a provincial painter who specialised in oil paintings of rustic and rural subjects. Miles is particularly associated with depictions of prized livestock, often portraying cattle, horses and other farm animals within carefully observed rural settings. The present lot is a compelling example of this aspect of his work.

Miles’s paintings frequently depict contemporary rural life, everyday activities and local events, rendered in a straightforward yet highly characterful provincial style. His known works appear to date predominantly from the period between approximately 1820 and 1840, when such scenes formed an important part of his artistic output. The present lot may therefore represent an earlier example of Miles’s work, dating from the beginning of his mature career and offering an interesting insight into the development of his distinctive approach to rural subject matter.

Provenance

Renko, London, 1990.

Private Collection.