J. Barenger.

The Famous Lincolnshire Ox.

22 x 19

This splendid beast was apparently "fed" by The Right Honourable Lord Yarborough under the direction of Charles Pelham MP. They must have done a good job because the bull weighed in at a colossal 464 stone and stood 5 feet 6 inches at the shoulders. It represents a craze that swept England in the early C18th that saw all sorts of domestic livestock (but primarily cattle) bred to enormous, prize winning proportions. Such practices would be deemed unethical and cruel by today's standards but in 1823 when this print was published there were few voices of dissent.

The image is striking for the simplicity of its background. The intricate markings of the ox stand in stark contrast to the very plain landscape behind. There are no people or buildings to achieve a sense of scale and complicate the scene, just the beautiful serenity of the Fens.