John Rogers Herbert, R.A., H.R.I. (1810-1890)

John Rogers Herbert exhibited The Sower of Good Seed at the Royal Academy in 1865 (no.46) where it was greeted with much critical aclaim '..the artist never bestowed on any composition greater thought or higher elaboration' (Art Journal, 1865, p.162). The present lot is most probably a later version of this celebrated work, which would explain the date '1865-71' inscibed on the picture.