Attributed to John Rathbone, British c.1750-1807- Cattle... Lot 208

Attributed to John Rathbone, British c.1750-1807- Cattle watering in a wooded river landscape with mountains in the distance; oil on panel, inscribed 'J Rathbone' verso, bears label for William Rivett (Gainsborough Gallery) attached to the upper stretcher bar, 30.5 x 42.5 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: Rathbone's idyllic, pastoral works show the influence of his contemporaries George Morland (1763-1804) and Julius Caesar Ibbetson (1759-1817). Indeed, Rathbone is known to have collaborated with these two artists on a number of occasions, with Morland and Ibbetson sometimes painting the figures in Rathbone's sprawling landscapes. In the present work, the artist presents a romanticised depiction of rural simplicity, with cattle drinking from a still river whilst a shepherd peacefully looks on. Between 1785 and 1806 Rathbone exhibited 48 landscapes at the Royal Academy and two at the Society of Artists.