Cattle at a Pool at Sunrise 1827

James Ward probably painted this evocative oil sketch sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Its interest lies in how it connects rural life to the aesthetic and institutional values of its time. Consider how the image brings together visual codes of the picturesque, and the sublime, but in relation to the social realities of agrarian England. The drama of the sunrise and stormy sky, are set against the mundane scene of cattle at a watering hole. Notice the faint image of a grand house in the background and the herd in the foreground that appear to be heading to work. How does the painting comment on social hierarchy? Is the rural economy presented as harmonious, or does the artist highlight tensions between labor and property? An art historian will want to know more about Ward’s patrons, and where this painting may have been exhibited to understand the social and institutional context of its making.