August Friedrich Albrecht Schenck (23 April 1828 – 1 January 1901) was a painter who was born in Glückstadt in the Duchy of Holstein, which at the time was under Danish control but part of the German Confederation.

[3] Anguish,[4] perhaps his most famous painting, is an oil-on-canvas work showing a ewe grieving over the dead body of her lamb as they are encircled by ominous black crows.

As a young man, Schenck left Glückstadt, which was then still Danish, in order to earn a lucrative income as a "wine traveler" in Germany, Russia, and finally, Portugal.

[citation needed] Around 1862 Schenck and his wife, Ludowika Stapaczinska, who was born in Warsaw, settled in the town of Écouen, about 20 km north of Paris.

The École d’Écouen attracted well-known artists, including Charles-François Daubigny, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and Mary Cassatt.

In the foreground the sheep are shown huddled together during a blizzard and a religious sentiment is represented in the background by a monument with a cross.