Artwork
Five Sheep
Five Sheep is a graphite drawing by the Romanticist artist Robert Hills. It dates from 1806 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
This is a simple drawing of five sheep in a grassy field. The line work is neat and careful, like a quick sketch but still clear. You can see each sheep’s shape and even a little detail in their wool.
This sheet of paper is old and fragile. It’s from 1807, so it’s over 200 years old. That makes it rare and special to keep around.
Look for more work by Hills, Robert if you like this style.
Overview
Created in 1806, *Five Sheep* is a graphite drawing on wove paper that presents a modest grouping of sheep set against a simple grassy ground. The composition is rendered with clean, precise lines that convey the forms of the animals and a hint of texture in their wool, offering a concise study of pastoral life.
Subject & Meaning
The work continues Robert Hills’s interest in rural subjects, focusing on domesticated livestock as emblematic of the English countryside. By isolating the five sheep, the drawing emphasizes the quiet, everyday rhythms of farm work and the natural world without narrative embellishment.
Technique & Style
Executed with graphite, the drawing displays careful, controlled strokes that balance spontaneity with clarity. The artist’s handling of line suggests a sketch‑like immediacy while maintaining enough detail to delineate individual bodies and the subtle undulations of the terrain.
History & Provenance
Robert Hills, an English painter and etcher trained under John Alexander Gresse and later at the Royal Academy of Arts, produced this piece early in his career. The paper, dated 1807, is now over two centuries old and is part of the British Museum’s collection of his drawings.
Context
During the early 19th century, British art often celebrated agrarian themes as a response to rapid industrial change. Hills’s focus on farm animals aligns with this broader cultural interest in documenting and idealising rural life, a motif that appears frequently in his oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Hills (26 June 1769 – 14 May 1844) was an English painter and etcher. Hills was born in Islington. He initially studied under John Alexander Gresse, then enrolled at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1788. He…
