In terms of its composition, this watercolor is an intermediary between 61A, the original sketch made for Sir William Drummond Stewart, and 61B, the watercolor made for the Walters commission. In this version, Miller has removed the distant mountain and trees, as in 61A, but he has left many of the grazing horses in the mid-ground. As a result, the space seems shallower. A vaguely rendered band of violet wash and a much smaller horse reveal his intention, realized in 61B to create the image of a vast plain before the caravan.
This watercolor is inscribed with the number ’96,’ which corresponds to note number 96, “Noon-day rest” in the Rough Drafts, suggesting that this is the preparatory sketch for the Walters watercolor. Miller’s note mentions that a guard was stationed on the bluff, “to prevent surprise, and look after horses,” perhaps explaining his desire to render a wider vista than is seen in the Stewart sketch.
