I06 ANIMAL PAINTERS 



painters. In the year 1812, he exhibited his first 

 pictures at the Royal Academy, "The Farrier's 

 Shop " and " A Terrier's Head ; " and from this 

 time onward till 1869, when his last and posthumous 

 work was shown, he sent in upwards of 332 pictures. 

 It is worth noting that during this long period of 

 fifty-eight years, no single exhibition lacked 

 examples of his work, a record that perhaps stands 

 alone in the annals of the Royal Academy. 



In 1812 Cooper became a subscriber to the 

 Artists' Benevolent Fund, and from being a 

 member was afterwards nominated one of its 

 guardians, a circumstance which points to his being 

 a man of sound good sense and business capacity. 

 Industriously as he worked at his profession he 

 found time to discharge his duties with such success 

 that he was subsequently appointed Chairman of 

 the Institution, a position he held for five years. 



He was for five years a constant exhibitor at the 

 ralleries of the Oil and Water Colour Societv, his 

 thirteen contributions to these bein^ for the most 

 part sporting subjects. He only ceased to send 

 works to the exhibitions of this Society when 

 elected an Associate of the Royal Academy, which 

 distinction was conferred upon him in the year 

 181 7. To the e.xhibitions of the British Institution 

 he contributed altogether seventy-four pictures. 



For a few vears he seems to have devoted his 



