Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S. (1878-1959)

As an intrinsic part of the countryside he loved, Munnings often chose to make studies of cows and pigs. For him they merited as much attention as the horse. Munnings actually purchased a cow to paint circa 1911 and describes her as 'probably the best and most profitable deal I ever made...To my mind, a cow although perhaps not so romantic and beautiful an animal as the horse, is a better subject for an artist' (see A.J. Munnings, An Artist's Life, Bungay, 1950, p. 280). The first painting of cows he executed was in 1901 and the last and the most famous, painted circa 1920, was The Friesian Bull (Lady Lever Art Gallery), the smallest version of this being in Queen Mary's Doll's House.