T. Yeomans Oil on Canvas

T. Yeomans oil on canvas, prize sheep bred by Sir J.C. Thorold Bart of D(S)yston Park, 1834, facing left, approx 50 x 66 cms, signed and dated, framed, note to verso: Provenance: Sudeley Castle, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire.Footnote: This painting may relate to Sir John Charles Thorold, 11th Baronet, Syston Hall nr Grantham, Lincolnshire, now demolished. T. Yeomans was an artist working in the locality of Grantham, Lincolnshire. Many a prosperous farmer or breeder showcased their wealth and status by commissioning paintings of their prize-winning livestock, including cows, horse and sheep, these commissioned paintings often featured exaggerated characteristics in size, girth or muscle definition which resulted in animals with unusual proportions. It was at a time that farmers were experimenting with selective breeding which resulted in superior animals such as the sheep in this painting.