Wooded Upland Landscape with Cattle at a Watering Place

Gainsborough employs delicate washes that allow the paper’s surface to remain largely visible, creating a luminous effect. The application is loose and rapid, suggesting an on‑site sketch. A faint pencil note along the lower edge hints at preparatory planning, while the Strasbourg lily watermark identifies the paper’s origin.

The work is signed and dated by Gainsborough and was originally executed on white laid paper before being affixed to a card backing. The presence of the Strasbourg lily watermark indicates the paper was sourced from a French manufacturer popular in the late 18th century. The piece has remained in private collections before entering a museum inventory.

During the late 1700s Gainsborough frequently explored landscape subjects alongside his portraiture, often producing studies that captured the English countryside’s atmospheric qualities. This watercolour reflects his interest in naturalistic observation and his skill in rendering light and texture with minimal means.