Two Studies of a Seated Man

Art Historical Context

James Ward’s “Two Studies of a Seated Man” captures the quiet concentration of figure drawing in mid-to-late eighteenth-century Britain. Rendered in graphite on smooth wove paper, the sheet records two views of the same model, allowing the artist to explore posture, drapery, and light from slightly different angles. At roughly 27 by 21 centimeters, the work’s intimate scale invites close looking, revealing the soft gradations Ward achieved with simple pencil strokes. Ward, best known today for his dramatic animal paintings and Romantic landscapes, used such studies to sharpen his observation of the human form—an essential skill even for an artist celebrated for livestock and sporting scenes. Graphite on wove paper was favored in this period for its clean lines and erasability, letting artists refine ideas quickly before transferring them to canvas or print. Now part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection through the generosity of William B. O’Neal, the drawing offers visitors a rare glimpse behind the finished painting, reminding us that even ambitious compositions began with patient, repeated looking at a single seated figure.

About the Artist

James Ward

James Ward was a prolific engraver, known as the most important animal painter of his generation in England. His work is characterized by subjects that are very animated, typically including horses, dogs or wild animals in agitated emotional states, the sense of movement being reinforced by vigorous brushwork and strong colors. His compositions are set in sweeping landscapes and dramatic skies, in...