A Chestnut Stallion in the Grounds of Powis Castle
James Ward, RA (London 1769 - Cheshunt 1859)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1818 (signed and dated and exh at RA)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1829 x 2438 mm (72 x 96 in)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Powis Castle and Garden, Powys
NT 1180950
Caption
James Ward was the most important animal painter of his generation. He was particularly renowned for his lively depiction of horses, in which vigorous brushstrokes and bold colours convey a feeling of movement and energy. Even when depicting animals at rest, Ward managed to retain a strong sense of dynamism. This is particularly evident in his painting of a stallion in the grounds at Powis: though it is at standstill its mane and tail flap in the wind and the warm light of the sun enhances the definition of its musculature, suggesting the potential of great power.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, A Chestnut Stallion in the Grounds of Powis Castle, by James Ward, RA (London 1769 -Cheshunt 1859), signed and dated, bottom mid-left (in monogram): 1818. The stallion is in the foreground with his head to the left and Powis Castle in the distance on the left.
Provenance
Brought to Powis Castle from Walcot Hall in 1930. Accepted by HM Treasury on 21st March, 1963 in lieu of tax and conveyed to National Trust ownership on 29th November 1963.
Credit line
Powis Castle, The Powis Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
James Ward, RA (London 1769 - Cheshunt 1859), artist
References
Grundy 1909 C. R. Grundy, James Ward, 1909, p. 45, no. 361