Jacque specialised in barnyard scenes and images of grazing livestock, which he observed with careful realism. His bucolic images of sheep and shepherdesses were particularly admired by Scottish collectors. This work features a Beauceron sheep dog, bred in France for its calm temperament and herding instincts. The use of the palette knife in areas of the canvas indicates the influence of Courbet. Jacque also employs bold touches of blue and green, contrasting the green cabbage leaves with the red of the hen’s comb. Dr John Kirkhope, an Edinburgh wine merchant, acquired this work before 1901, when he lent it to the Glasgow International Exhibition.
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