A watercolour depicting a pair of Spanish oxen, with elaborate Spanish harness, yoked to a haycart. A small bull (named Don Juan) walks beside them. Signed, inscribed and dated. This watercolour depicts the bull and two heifers which were specially imported for Queen Victoria from Oporto, North Portugal, in 1880. They were kept at Osborne, and Queen Victoria recorded in her journal seeing Barber make a "charming sketch" of them at Barton Farm there on 7 April 1881. Barber executed an oil painting of the cattle for the Queen later that same year (RCIN 404307), and this watercolour sketch is annotated by the artist as being preparatory to the painting. In the finished painted, the two heifers are not wearing any harness. See RCINs 913366, 913367 and 913369 for other watercolours by Barber of the Spanish cattle. Barber, an animal and sporting painter, enjoyed Queen Victoria's patronage, and she remarked upon his death that he "had such talent & did so many things for me" (Journal, 28 November 1894).