Bathers Disturbed by a Bull 1853

David Cox created "Bathers Disturbed by a Bull" using watercolor on paper. The England that Cox lived and worked in was experiencing the throes of the Industrial Revolution, influencing the subjects he chose to depict in his art. Here, we see that the figures are not members of the leisure class, but rather laborers, perhaps taking a midday swim. The bull, though a source of disturbance in the painting, also speaks to the dependence of England on agriculture during the 19th century. The naturalistic style that Cox employs places emphasis on the relationship between the laborers and the English countryside they inhabit. This relationship is placed in stark contrast to the factories in the background. It seems as though Cox attempts to use this watercolor to capture and preserve the cultural identity of the working class during a time of great cultural change.