# Thomas Sidney Cooper artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/thomas-sidney-cooper/
Profile generated: 2026-05-02T06:24:21.714Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1803-09-26
- Death date: 1902-02-07
- Nationality: English, British
- Movements: Victorian landscape and animal painting
- Common media: Oil on canvas, Lithography, Drawing

## About Thomas Sidney Cooper

Thomas Sidney Cooper (1803–1902) was an English painter born in Canterbury, Kent, celebrated for his detailed depictions of cattle, sheep, and other farm animals set within the British pastoral landscape. Known colloquially as "Cow Cooper," he became one of the most recognizable Victorian animal painters, with a career spanning over seven decades. Cooper worked in oil, watercolor, and lithography, and his compositions often feature sunlit meadows, riverbanks, and grazing herds rendered with careful attention to animal anatomy and rural atmosphere. His works are held in major public collections including the Tate, and his prolific output made him a fixture in the Victorian art market. He was also uncle to the painter William Sidney Cooper, and his monogram "TSC" appears on many canvases.

## Common works and media

Cooper is most commonly encountered in appraisal contexts through oil-on-canvas paintings of cattle and sheep grazing or watering in rural landscapes. He also produced watercolor studies, preparatory drawings, and lithographic prints. Subjects range from single-animal studies to expansive multi-figure pastoral compositions with mountain or river backdrops. Signed works typically bear the monogram "TSC" or the full signature "T. Sidney Cooper." Editioned prints after his compositions also circulate, generally at lower values than original paintings.

## Market and appraisal context

Thomas Sidney Cooper maintains an active and well-documented secondary market with 363 auction lots recorded in the Appraisily index (223 with published prices), spanning sales from 1993 through April 2026. Works appear regularly at major international houses including Sotheby's and Christie's alongside a broad network of UK regional and international salerooms (Dreweatts, Chiswick, Roseberys, Mallams, Canterbury Auction Galleries, Gorringes, Sworders, Adam's, Waddington's). The observed price distribution is wide: from $20 for minor prints or attribution-questionable works up to $230,000 for major signed canvases, with a median of $1,200 and an interquartile range of $400–$3,200. The most recent 12 months saw 19 lots offered, down modestly from 24 in the prior 12-month window, indicating a still-liquid but slightly cooling market. Recent results cluster around a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for mid-size oils and watercolors: a small oil-on-paper game study made £150 at Mallams (July 2025), a watercolor pair reached $350 at South Bay Auctions (August 2025), a signed oil-on-canvas pastoral landscape (75×126 cm) achieved €3,400 at Adam's (June 2025), and a signed 1868 Canterbury Meadows oil brought CAD 7,500 at Waddington's (December 2025). Larger, well-attributed pastoral cattle compositions consistently outperform small studies, workshop pieces, and works on paper.

## Auction-house-backed market evidence

Thomas Sidney Cooper maintains an active and well-documented secondary market with 363 auction lots recorded in the Appraisily index (223 with published prices), spanning sales from 1993 through April 2026. Works appear regularly at major international houses including Sotheby's and Christie's alongside a broad network of UK regional and international salerooms (Dreweatts, Chiswick, Roseberys, Mallams, Canterbury Auction Galleries, Gorringes, Sworders, Adam's, Waddington's). The observed price distribution is wide: from $20 for minor prints or attribution-questionable works up to $230,000 for major signed canvases, with a median of $1,200 and an interquartile range of $400–$3,200. The most recent 12 months saw 19 lots offered, down modestly from 24 in the prior 12-month window, indicating a still-liquid but slightly cooling market. Recent results cluster around a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for mid-size oils and watercolors: a small oil-on-paper game study made £150 at Mallams (July 2025), a watercolor pair reached $350 at South Bay Auctions (August 2025), a signed oil-on-canvas pastoral landscape (75×126 cm) achieved €3,400 at Adam's (June 2025), and a signed 1868 Canterbury Meadows oil brought CAD 7,500 at Waddington's (December 2025). Larger, well-attributed pastoral cattle compositions consistently outperform small studies, workshop pieces, and works on paper.

### Appraisal notes

Appraisily uses the recorded auction lot history as a comparable-sales baseline, then refines each appraisal with the specifics of the item in hand: photographs (front, back, signature detail, any labels or inscriptions), measured dimensions, confirmed medium, signature or monogram verification (TSC or full signature), condition report (including any relining, overpaint, craquelure, or restoration), documented provenance chain, and edition details for prints. For Cooper, particular attention is given to attribution confidence because of his large workshop output and the many follower or 'after' copies in circulation. The appraiser selects comparable lots matching subject, size, date, and medium from the 363-lot record set, weights recent sales more heavily, and adjusts for currency, condition, and provenance quality. The wide price dispersion in Cooper's record (median $1,200 vs. maximum $230,000) means that individual lot comparables matter far more than broad averages for any single appraisal.

### Valuation factors

- Subject matter and composition complexity — large multi-figure cattle landscapes command substantially more than single-animal studies or game pieces
- Size — Cooper's larger canvases (75×126 cm and above) consistently outperform small panels and works on paper
- Medium — oil on canvas is the strongest category; watercolors, drawings, and prints trade at lower levels
- Attribution confidence — workshop pieces, follower works, and 'after' copies are explicitly discounted; specialist verification of signature and style is recommended
- Provenance — documented gallery or collector history (e.g., Thomas Agnew & Sons, named collections) adds measurably to value
- Condition — relining, overpaint, or significant restoration reduces value, particularly for higher-end works
- Date of execution — earlier, more ambitious Victorian-period works tend to outperform late-career or dated studies
- Auction venue — results at Sotheby's and Christie's Old Master sales set the upper range; regional UK and North American houses generally realize lower prices

### Collector notes



### Market caveats

- Cooper was prolific over a 70-year career with a large workshop; attribution should be confirmed by a specialist before any valuation is finalized.
- The RKD records over 1,000 images attributed to Cooper, and the market includes many follower works, copies, and prints after his compositions that trade at materially lower values.
- Some recent catalog listings contain incorrect dates (e.g., '1802–1903' instead of 1803–1902), suggesting that cataloguer familiarity varies and attribution scrutiny is warranted.
- Price dispersion is extreme ($20–$230,000); broad averages are not reliable for individual appraisals. Comparable lots should match subject, size, medium, date, and attribution level.
- Recent lot volume has declined from 24 to 19 over the prior 12-month period, which may reflect market softening or simply normal variation in consignment cycles.
- Currency mix across USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, and AUD lots requires careful normalization when comparing results.

### Market evidence sources

- Appraisily: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/thomas-sidney-cooper/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/thomas-sidney-cooper/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Appraisily auction record index: https://appraisily.com/api/scraper-search/artists/thomas-sidney-cooper/seo-profile?recentLimit=24&relatedLimit=0
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-uk-1803-1902-oil-painting-antique-95-c-4944324ba6
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-after-thomas-sidney-cooper-329-c-7c74ee9b69
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1803-1902-study-of-a-collie-76-c-599919f07f
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-1803-1902-resting-cows-in-a-pasture-1148-c-baf6eea125
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1803-1902-cows-at-rest-330-c-0d766a049b
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1803-1902-oil-on-canvas-cow-and-rooster-h-8-5-w-17-5-1009-c-fd70f5779a
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1803-1902-cattle-resting-by-a-river-241-c-7d5ceec7c8
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1802-1903-a-late-19th-century-oil-on-board-704-c-99a67c75bb
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-1803-1902-the-canterbury-meadows-1868-43-c-bf74d22caf
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-in-the-meadows-canterbury-4121-c-9084baf910
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-british-1803-1902-pair-of-pastoral-landscapes-watercolor-on-paper-473-c-a9f4bbe813
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-1803-1902-partridge-and-hare-signed-and-dated-1859-oil-on-paper-laid-down-on-panel-11-x-18cm-provenance-with-thomas-agnew-sons-ltd-collection-of-thomas-baring-sold-together-with-copy-of-purchase-invoice-dated-1971-385-c-299449e9f2
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-ra-british-1803-1902-an-extensive-landscape-with-337-c-5ad493480f
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-1803-1902-cattle-watering-in-a-pastoral-landscape-oil-on-canvas-75-x-126cm-signed-350-c-aca490abbb
- Invaluable: https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot-thomas-sidney-cooper-1803-1902-oil-on-board-study-of-horses-in-landscape-signed-and-dated-92-29-5-x-37cm-framed-519-c-146427ea5f

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines identity research from museum collections, library authority files, and art-historical databases with auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lots when those records are available. Biographical facts are grounded in the Tate artist record, the Library of Congress Name Authority File, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, and VIAF.

## Sources

- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88658021
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/18168
- Tate: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/thomas-sidney-cooper-112
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/77899834/
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1333386
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sidney_Cooper