James Ward

Genre Painter

From A BRIEF GUIDE: TELFAIR ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, INC.: James Ward became well known at the end of the eighteenth century for his paintings of anecdotal genre. He had begun his career as a mezzotinter but after 1797 Ward worked mainly in oils. THE STRAY CHILD and THE STRAY CHILD RETURNS show Ward's connection to English narrative painting by his allusion in subject matter to the biblical parable of the Prodigal Son. Later in his career, he was influenced by the landscapes of Peter Paul Rubens. His paintings became larger in size and more grandiose in theme. However, his earlier anecdotal scenes remain his most important works.