A maiden walks beside the water beneath shady trees, following a group of cows. The theme of a young woman tending animals is one to which Long was attracted, and turned to in a number of his works such as Feeding time (cat 5). Likewise, he painted many images of shepherdesses.

In The milkmaid, however, more than depicting a specific narrative, Long was interested in evoking a mood, that of quiet, rural labour, the slow return home at the end of the day. The figure and animals merge into the landscape and are in complete harmony with their surroundings. The scene is dominated by the trees, and Long’s rendering of their decoratively curved trunks and speckled foliage shows his sensitive observation of outdoor light, and his ability to convey the gently moving breeze stirring the trees.

The title ‘The milkmaid’ is probably a recent one. The painting is possibly 'Evening' c 1904, which was exhibited in ‘Sid Long’s art union’ 1905 (28).

A maiden walks beside the water beneath shady trees, following a group of cows. The theme of a young woman tending animals is one to which Long was attracted, and turned to in a number of his works such as Feeding time (cat 5). Likewise, he painted many images of shepherdesses.

In The milkmaid, however, more than depicting a specific narrative, Long was interested in evoking a mood, that of quiet, rural labour, the slow return home at the end of the day. The figure and animals merge into the landscape and are in complete harmony with their surroundings. The scene is dominated by the trees, and Long’s rendering of their decoratively curved trunks and speckled foliage shows his sensitive observation of outdoor light, and his ability to convey the gently moving breeze stirring the trees.

The title ‘The milkmaid’ is probably a recent one. The painting is possibly 'Evening' c 1904, which was exhibited in ‘Sid Long’s art union’ 1905 (28).