The Sheep

This painting of sheep by de Loutherbourg at the Musée Magnin, Dijon, demonstrates his command of animal painting — a genre he pursued alongside his more famous dramatic landscapes and battle scenes. Animal painting was a respected specialty in both French and English art markets, with sheep and cattle subjects providing a more intimate and pastoral register of his artistic range. De Loutherbourg's theatrical oil technique deployed dramatic chiaroscuro and vivid atmospheric effects that he developed through his work as a scene designer for David Garrick at Drury Lane Theatre, though in this pastoral subject he applied a gentler, more naturalistic treatment suited to the pastoral subject matter. The sheep rendered with naturalistic observation of their woolly coats and characteristic poses create a calm, idyllic pastoral atmosphere that contrasts markedly with his more celebrated dramatic subjects.

The sheep are rendered with naturalistic observation of their woolly coats and characteristic poses. The pastoral setting creates a calm, idyllic atmosphere contrasting with de Loutherbourg's more dramatic subjects.