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| The Shire Horse Elephant in an Extensive Landscape, James Ward |
Reader Jed is bailing me out again, this time on a day where my brain is not cooperating with thinking. Thanks for the hand.
James Ward (1769-1859) was a British painter and engraver who is known for his painting of animals and to a lesser extent, landscapes. Today’s work, The Shire Horse Elephant in an Extensive Landscape, incorporates both.
Many artists of the era sought commissions from wealthy patrons to keep themselves financially afloat. Usually, these consisted of portraiture of various subjects. Today’s work is an example of that sort of art.
From Sotheby’s listing of the painting’s sale in 2017: “Elephant was the favorite shire horse (or draft horse) of Sir Henry Meux (1817-1883), who was a member of Parliament for Hertfordshire from 1847 to 1859 and the head of the London brewing firm, Meux and Co., which owned the famous Horse Shoe Brewery.”
Note: Fine Art Tuesday was started by Eaton Rapids Joe in memory of Ol’ Remus, late proprietor of the Woodpile Report. If you’re a blogger and are so moved, please feel free to join us with your own Fine Art Tuesday post.
