Bulls Fighting, with a View of Donatt's Castle, Glamorganshire thumbnail 1
Bulls Fighting, with a View of Donatt's Castle, Glamorganshire thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Paintings, Room 87, The Edwin and Susan Davies Galleries

Bulls Fighting, with a View of Donatt's Castle, Glamorganshire

Oil Painting
1803 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

James Ward specialised in animal paintings. He based this work on a landscape by Rubens. The President of the Royal Academy considered that its 'perfection of execution' made Rubens seem 'gross and vulgar'. Constable, however, saw it as proof that a 'production made upon a picture' is inferior to one 'founded on original observation'.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBulls Fighting, with a View of Donatt's Castle, Glamorganshire (popular title)
Materials and techniques
oil on panel
Brief description
Oil painting, 'Bulls Fighting, with a View of Donatt's Castle, Glamorganshire', James Ward, 1803
Physical description
Signed "J Ward" on the back.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 132cm
  • Estimate width: 228cm
Dimensions taken from Summary catalogue of British Paintings, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973
Style
Marks and inscriptions
'J Ward' (Signed by the artist on the back)
Gallery label
"Label" from Elise load - author unknown "The bulls in this painting are inspired by a work by George Stubbs. Ward has changed the classical calm of Stubb's composition into the fulcrum for a romantic synthesis of moods - a struggle which mirrors the threat of a coming storm, and the high winds which have uprooted the massive tree, the central element of the design. All these factors give the picture an emotive Wordsworthian identification with the wilder aspects of nature."
Credit line
Given by Charles T. Maud
Object history
Given by Charles T. Maud, 1871
Taken from 'Somersetshire parishes; a handbook of historical reference to all places in the county'.
'Bathampton
Charles Theobald Maud of the Manor House, farmer, horse-breeder, and collector of pictures. Left Harrow 1808-9. Bal. Col. Oxf. BA 1818.'

Maud was also the cousin of W J Broderip, the eminent naturalist, who owned William Holman Hunt's 'The Hireling Shepherd' (City of Manchester Art Galleries). Maud originally commissioned a replica of the sheep in the background of this work, but Hunt persuaded him to commission a new piece, 'Our English Coasts (Strayed Sheep)' (Tate Britain).

Exhibited at the British Institution, 1817, no.12 'Bulls Fighting' (5ft 6" x 8ft 9").
Historical context
In addition to being a prolific engraver, James Ward was regarded as the most important animal painter of his generation in England. His work is characterised by great animation, the sense of movement enforced by vigorous brushwork and strong colours; his compositions are generally set in sweeping landscapes with dramatic skies, a style influenced by Romanticism.
Subjects depicted
Summary
James Ward specialised in animal paintings. He based this work on a landscape by Rubens. The President of the Royal Academy considered that its 'perfection of execution' made Rubens seem 'gross and vulgar'. Constable, however, saw it as proof that a 'production made upon a picture' is inferior to one 'founded on original observation'.
Bibliographic references
  • 100 Great Paintings in The Victoria & Albert Museum.London: V&A, 1985, p.100
  • Grundy, C. R. James Ward, R.A., His Life and Works, London, 1909, pp.32-33
  • English art in Public Galleries, vol. I, 1888, p.67
  • Art Journal, London, 1862, p.170
  • Dayot, A., La Peinture Anglaise, paris, 1908, p.138
  • Edward Nygren, James Ward, RA (1769-1859): Papers and Patrons, Walpole Society 2013 (vol. 75), cat. 44, pp.264-5
  • pp. 52-5 Rubens and his legacy London : Royal Academy of Arts, 2014. ISBN: 9781907533778
Collection
Accession number
220-1871

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest