JAMES WARD (LONDON 1769-1859 CHESHUNT)

James Ward originally trained as an engraver but turned to oil painting in the 1790s, influenced by the sporting works of his brother-in-law George Morland. Ward followed in the traditional of George Stubbs, developing the genre of Romantic animal painting in which the creatures are given dignity and personality. The terrier is set against a mountainous landscape with swirling clouds, echoing the panoramic landscapes of Rubens which Ward had copied in his years as a mezzotinter.