Robert Hills (1769-1844) – bullock grazing

A study of bullock grazing, Robert Hills (1769-1844).

Pencil and watercolour on paper. SN/AF-45-006

Robert Hills was an English painter and etcher, who studied under John Alexander Gresse, and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1788. He chose to mostly paint farm animals in rural scenes.

Hills was passionate about sketching from nature, and – much like De Vinci – carried out careful anatomical studies of animal bones and joints. Because of his skill and knowledge of animal forms, other artists asked him to draw the animals in their works.

He was a founder member in 1804 of the Old Water-Colour Society (which became the Royal Watercolour Society) and became its first secretary, exhibiting there until his death. He also exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1791 to 14.

The British Museum holds a collection of 1,240 of Hills's animal etchings, and a small amount of sketches and watercolours like this one.