George Morland was an English painter of animals and rustic scenes. Morland was born in London, the 3rd son (of 6 children) of Henry Robert Morland (c. 1719-1797), artist, engraver and picture restorer. His father had once been a rich man but fell into reduced circumstances - his pictures of laundry-maids, reproduced in mezzotint, and representing ladies of some importance, were very popular in their time. His mother was a Frenchwoman who possessed a small independent property of her own. His grandfather, George H. Morland, was a subject painter.

At a very early age Morland produced sketches of remarkable promise, exhibiting some at the Royal Academy in 1773, when he was but ten years old. He continued to exhibit at the Free So...