Roan Shorthorn Cow 

This is James Ward’s “Roan Shorthorn Cow,” painted with oil on canvas. Ward, active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, made many paintings of animals. He wasn't alone. This was a period when animal husbandry was becoming more scientific. Selective breeding was seen as a way to increase the economic productivity of livestock. So, in a way, Ward was a painter of commodities. The smoothness of the paint, the rendering of the cow’s coat, all speak to the hoped-for perfection of this particular breed. We can imagine the painting serving as a record, perhaps even an advertisement. Considered this way, the picture asks us to reflect on the labor involved – not only Ward’s, but that of the many agricultural workers who dedicated their lives to raising animals like this. It encourages us to examine these intersections between art, labor, and the commodification of the natural world.