Anon. Pastoral Scene with Stablehand & Horse

An original c.1848 watercolour painting Pastoral Scene with Stablehand & Horse.

A lovely English pastoral composition with a charming familial feel: a resting estate-hand, stable boy, mother, child and babe in arms—along with a loyal horse and attentive dog—are gathered together in this convivial bucolic scene. Furthermore, the picture has an interesting provenance which adds an evocative dimension to the subject. The painting once hung in Highclere Castle, the estate in Hampshire which has been made famous as the filming location for the historical drama series Downton Abbey (2010–15).

The watercolour is thought to date from around 1848 (the date of a newspaper used in the picture's historic framing), which would date the painting to the time of Henry John George Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, FRS (1800–1849). It was during Carnarvon's lifetime that the family seat of Highclere Castle was redesigned and rebuilt by Sir Charles Barry into a Victorian mansion in the Jacobethan style.

It has been suggested that the composition may incorporate the faces of family or estate workers—an interesting idea which breathes further life into the scene. The painting could be a draft in watercolour for an oil painting of the same subject.

The picture comes with a copy of the provenance information provided by the previous owner, whose late wife was housekeeper at Highclere Castle.