A Border Leicester Ewe

James Ward prints bring the powerful horses, faithful dogs, prize cattle and dramatic landscapes of English Romantic painting into your home. Ward was one of the greatest animal painters of his time and the creator of Gordale Scar, a masterpiece of the Romantic sublime. Our collection of fine art prints covers his animal portraits, landscapes, sporting and genre scenes and his many drawings.

About James Ward

James Ward was born in London on 23 October 1769, the younger brother of the engraver William Ward, who trained him as an engraver and later engraved much of his work. Until 1803 his great influence was his brother-in-law George Morland, painter of rustic scenes; after that, it was Rubens.

From about 1810 he specialised in horses in landscapes, and then in very large landscapes, above all Gordale Scar (1814–15), now in Tate, considered his masterpiece. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1811. From 1815 to 1821 he worked on a gigantic Allegory of Waterloo, now lost, which brought him neither praise nor the money he hoped for. Like many artists of his day he painted the favourite horses, dogs and children of wealthy patrons, notably the Levett family of Wychnor in Staffordshire, for whom he painted The Deer Stealer.

After the death of his first wife, Mary Ann, he married Charlotte Fritche in 1827 and moved to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire in 1830, painting religious subjects. A stroke in 1855 ended his work, and he died in poverty on 17 November 1859. His granddaughter Henrietta Ward was a painter, and his great-grandson Leslie Ward the Vanity Fair caricaturist.

Style and Subjects

Ward painted animals with great energy and close observation: muscular horses, prize bulls and oxen, hunting dogs and wild animals, often set in stormy, dramatic landscapes. His handling, inspired by Rubens, is rich and vigorous.

His great landscapes, such as Gordale Scar, express the Romantic idea of the sublime, nature's vast, overwhelming power. He also drew constantly, and his studies of trees, animals and people are full of life.

Famous Works

• The Reverend Thomas Levett and His Favourite Dogs, Cock-Shooting (1811). A sporting portrait for his patrons the Levetts.
• Gordale Scar (1814–15), Tate, London. A towering Yorkshire gorge with cattle, his masterpiece of the sublime.
• Theophilus Levett Hunting at Wychnor (1817). One of his best-known sporting portraits.
• The Deer Stealer (1823), Tate, London. A poacher at work, commissioned by Theophilus Levett.
• The Falls of the Clyde after a Flood. A roaring Scottish waterfall.
• Portraits of Two Extraordinary Oxen. Prize oxen belonging to the Earl of Powis.
• Portrait of Dash, a Favourite Spaniel. A beloved dog painted for Lady Frances Vane-Tempest.
• The Cossack, Gregory Yelloserf. A horse portrait from his years specialising in horses.

Decorating with Ward Prints

Ward's dog and horse portraits, like Dash or The Cossack, suit a study, den, library or boot room, especially in country-house interiors with leather and dark wood.

His dramatic landscapes, such as The Vale of Llangollen, make a strong focal point in a living room, and his tree and animal drawings make a lovely gallery wall for a hallway.

FAQ

Who was James Ward?

James Ward (1769–1859) was an English painter and engraver, one of the great animal painters of his time and a Royal Academician.

What is James Ward's most famous painting?

Gordale Scar (1814–15), now in Tate, is considered his masterpiece and one of the great works of English Romantic painting.

Was James Ward related to George Morland?

Yes. Morland was his brother-in-law and his greatest early influence, before Ward turned to Rubens.

Where can I see James Ward's paintings?

Tate in London holds Gordale Scar and The Deer Stealer, and the Yale Center for British Art has a large collection of his work.

Related Artists

• George Morland: his brother-in-law and early influence
• William Ward: his brother, the engraver
• Peter Paul Rubens: the master who shaped his mature style
• George Stubbs: leading English painter of horses before him
• John Constable: English Romantic landscape painter of the same era