{{ titlePrefix }} James Ward
James Ward (1769–1859) was born in London and was a son of a fruit merchant. Ward’s apprenticeship to an engraver revealed his natural artistic talents and during his early career he established himself as a successful mezzotinter, reproducing works by other artists. He was an active observer of the natural world and studied animal and human anatomy. Regarded by many as the quintessential animal painter of his generation, Ward’s paintings often had moralistic undertones that reflected his unusually progressive views. These included his hatred of cruelty to animals and deference of beards (which were extremely unfashionable at the time), and his works were sometime accompanied by lengthy explanations or poems.