James Ward (1769-1859) English, Antique Engraving. Titled” The Council of Horses”. Signed in the plate, dated 1862. On Wove Paper. T.A. Prior, Engraver. Comes with COA. Depicts a herd of horses, most in the distance but three stand in a circle around two foals who lay on the ground. Overall Size: 16 x 19 in. Sight Size: 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. #1361 James Ward R.A., was one of the remarkable artists of the day, his singular style and great skill set him above most of his contemporaries, markedly influencing the growth of British art. Regarded as one of the great animal painters of his time, James produced history paintings, portraits, landscapes and genre. He started off as an engraver, trained by his brother William, who later engraved much of his work. The partnership of William and James Ward produced some of the best that English art had to offer, and their great technical skill and artistry having led to images that reflect the grace and charm of the era. He was admitted for membership into the Royal Academy in 1811. James Ward a painter, particularly of animals, and an engraver. Born in London, and younger brother of William Ward the engraver, he was influenced by many people, but his career is conventionally divided into two periods: until 1803, his single greatest influence was his brother in law George Morland; from that time, it was Rubens. From 1810 or so, Ward started to paint horses within landscapes; slightly later, he turned to very large-scale landscapes, of which Gordale Scar (Tate, London), completed in 1814 or 1815 and depicting Gordale Scar (Yorkshire) as an example of the sublime, is considered his masterpiece and a masterpiece of English Romantic painting. Ward devoted much of the period 1815-21 to the painting of a gigantic work titled Waterloo Allegory (now lost); this neither was much praised nor brought in the revenue Ward had hoped for. The experience may have embittered him, and the deaths of his first wife and a daughter were among other tragedies. Like many artists of the time, Ward sought commissions from wealthy gentry of their favorite horses, their favorite hunting dogs or their children.