Oil on Canvas "Stopping to Chat"

#A140PP.. Circa 1880. England. This charming painting, signed "R Quinton" (lower right), is by Alfred Robert Quinton (October 28, 1853 – December10, 1934). It depicts a young man leading 3 draft horses, stopping to talk to a young lady tending a flock of sheep. The sheep are grazing in a just-gleaned field., with well-formed haystacks in the field beyond. Her dog seems to be in an unthreatening but guarding position.
The scene is framed in a hand-made gold leaf & gilt foliate frame which appears to be original. This excellent painting will fit in any room and tells an interesting story. Is he flirting with the girl? Or asking her to walk out with him? You decide.
Quinton was an English artist, known for his paintings of British villages and landscapes. Many of them made their way into fine homes in America. He studied painting at the Heatherley School of Fine Art. Early in his career, around 1874, he began to work in oils. In the summer months Quinton would cycle around England, sketching and photographing scenes for his paintings. Then in the winter he would create the pictures they inspired. This appears to be a scene from the flat northern East Anglia agricultural area.
Starting in 1877 Quinton exhibited watercolors at the Royal Society of British Artists. He eventually exhibited at the Birmingham Royal Society of British Artists; Dudley Gallery; Dowdeswell Gallery; Grosvenor Gallery; Liverpool Walker Art Gallery; Manchester City Art Gallery; the Royal Society of British Artists; Royal Hibernian Academy; Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters. His original illustrations for the book "The Historic Thames" and two other of his paintings were bought by the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Later in his career, many of his paintings were converted into prints and used in such items as postcards -- opening his art and reputation to a much wider audience. Excellent age-appropriate condition. The canvas was possibly cleaned around 50 years ago. The frame has old & new repairs and minor cracks commensurate with age, all unnoticeable to the eye except on extremely close scrutiny. Framed dimensions: 35.5" wide x 26" tall x 3.5" depth. $1,900.00.