Berkshire Breed: Low 1840

Image] Product ID: 233287 Pig, bred by Mr. Loud, Mackstockmill, Warwickshire Hand-colored lithograph from David Low's The Breeds of the Domestic Animals of the British Islands, a pioneering work illustrating the major modern breeds of horses, cows, sheep, and pigs in Britain. David Low, professor of agriculture at the University of Edinburgh, produced these lithographs as a reference for those interested in the infant science of selective breeding. He was concerned that the relatively simple concepts of matching a breed to its environment whilst improving productivity were not understood by the majority of farmers or breeders. With the help of a government grant from Frederick, 4th Earl Spencer, Low set up the agriculture museum in Edinburgh. The artist William Shiels of the Royal Scottish Academy was commissioned to produce a series of paintings of all economically-significant breeds in Great Britain at the time, which Low then used as a reference for his lithographs.