Studies of Cattle 

Robert Hills created "Studies of Cattle," a pencil drawing, during a period of significant agricultural change in Britain. Hills, as a painter of animals, occupies an interesting position during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These were times when the rural idyll was both celebrated and threatened by industrialization. His detailed studies of cattle aren't merely pastoral scenes. They reflect a society grappling with evolving ideas about land, labor, and the natural world. There's a quiet dignity in his portrayal of these animals. By focusing on their forms and postures, he invites us to consider their place in the social and economic landscape of the time. These studies reflect a shift in how animals were perceived, not just as commodities, but as beings with their own presence and value.