The English Setter - Thomas Cook

A detailed 1777 engraving by Thomas Cook depicting an English Setter in a pastoral setting, published by John Boydell.

This fine etching and engraving, titled The English Setter, was produced by the British artist Thomas Cook in 1777. The work is based on an original painting formerly in the possession of a Mr. Bradford. It depicts a recumbent English Setter resting in a pastoral setting, surrounded by mature trees and rolling hills. The dog is positioned centrally, its form rendered with precise lines that capture the texture of its coat and its alert, observant posture.

In the background, the composition includes subtle details of the rural environment, such as distant figures and a cloudy sky, which provide a sense of scale and atmosphere. The print demonstrates the technical skill of eighteenth-century English engravers, who utilised varied line weights to create depth and tonal contrast without the use of colour. The foreground features detailed foliage, which frames the subject and draws the viewer's eye toward the animal.

Thomas Cook was a prolific engraver, known for his work after William Hogarth and other contemporary painters. This specific print reflects the period's interest in sporting subjects and the documentation of specific dog breeds, which were often associated with the landed gentry and rural life. The publication line at the bottom of the plate indicates it was published in July 1777 by John Boydell, a prominent figure in the London print trade. The work remains a clear example of the commercial print market in the late eighteenth century, where high-quality reproductions of paintings allowed for the wider dissemination of sporting and animal imagery among collectors and enthusiasts of the era.