The title of the Coppers comes from the colour of the tree and the magnificent colouring of the dog   (nothing to do with the police).   I have been told by some people that this painting reminds them of Mr & Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough.   It does have a certain grandiose feel to it, with the mature trees and fields behind the dog.

Perhaps it is the great rolling landscape of Hampstead Heath that gives that association, or the slightly pompous pose of the dog, in any case it is not an association I am unhappy with.

The idea in the Gainsborough painting was to show the wealth of the Andrews, with their estates forming the backdrop behind them, Mr Andrews, gun resting under one arm, his hunting dog looking up adoringly, and Mrs Andrews in her beautifully plush silk dress.    

For me the key factor of the painting is the colours, as I mentioned the reds, set off against the green, and to show a gun dog in (what was once) a great estate.