The subject of this painting, a young woman watching over a herd of sheep, was probably inspired by Millet. Jacque lived next door to Millet at Barbizon, where he moved in 1849 after an outbreak of cholera in Paris. He was a prolific artist, but he also found time to pursue a number of speculative ventures, including raising poultry, cultivating asparagus and investing in property. Hugh Laird bought this work in 1899 from Arthur Tooth & Sons for around £600, considerably less than he paid for Troyon’s Return from Work.