Our English Coasts, 1852 (Strayed Sheep) — History & Facts
Our English Coasts, 1852 (Strayed Sheep) is an oil painting completed by William Holman Hunt in 1852. The work was painted on the cliffs at Fairlight Glen, near Hastings, on the south coast of England. Created during the early years of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, of which Hunt was a founding member, the painting reflects the group's commitment to meticulous observation of nature and vibrant colour. The composition features a flock of sheep scattered along a rugged coastal path, with several sheep straying perilously close to the cliff edge.
The foreground is densely detailed with wildflowers and brambles, rendered with precise botanical accuracy. Sunlight illuminates the sheep and the landscape, casting strong shadows and highlighting the textures of wool, rock, and foliage. The sea glimmers in the background, creating a striking contrast with the warm earth tones of the land and the cool blues and greens of the water. The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1853 and is now held in the collection of Tate, London.
Our English Coasts, 1852 (Strayed Sheep) was commissioned by Charles Theobald Maud and is regarded as a significant example of Pre-Raphaelite landscape painting. The work received attention for its technical brilliance and its symbolic overtones, which have been interpreted in the context of Victorian concerns about national security and moral vigilance.
More Artworks by William Holman Hunt

The Scapegoat
William Holman Hunt

The Light of the World
William Holman Hunt

The Awakening Conscience
William Holman Hunt

The Shadow of Death
William Holman Hunt

The Triumph of the Innocents
William Holman Hunt

The Miracle of the Sacred Fire, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
William Holman Hunt

View from a Terrace of a River Landscape at Night
William Holman Hunt

The Lizard, Cornwall
William Holman Hunt

Homeward Bound
William Holman Hunt

The Nile
William Holman Hunt
More Landscape Art

The Starry Night
Vincent van Gogh

View of Delft
Johannes Vermeer

Water Lilies
Claude Monet

The Grand Canal, Venice, looking north-west from the Ca' Corner to the Ca' Contarini degli Scrigni, with the campanile of Santa Maria della Carità
Canaletto

Windsor Castle
Canaletto

The Grand Canal looking North-East from the Palazzo Dolfin-Manin to the Rialto Bridge
Canaletto
