Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-09-26
A PUa1L1sT- PAINTER.


Mr.. Kingsley once wrote an excellent story
about one Alton Locke, who united the protes-
sions of tailor and poet. 1t seems that there
is living in London just now. man who con-
trives to Join two callings still more diverse.
He is painter of more than common merit,
and a pugilist who was for some years "Cham-
Mon of England" and maintained the belt
apainst all corners. A recent English paper
gives the following account Of this remarkable
being =
"Instances are not wanting to prove that the
study of pugilism and a love of the arts are
compatible. At the present time London boasts
the possession of man who has studied the
art of self-defence and the art of painting with
equally happy results, of one who has taken the
first pugilistc honors, and borne for six or
seven years the proud title of champion of
England thoughin the recognition of his ar
tstic claims he has not been so fortunatej his
name does not yet appear on the list of men,
bers of the Royal Academy.
Of the antecedents of this remarkable man
| am unable to say much. James Ward was
born at Liverpool in 1901. His early life was
one of hard work, being passed in ballast
heaving and coal-whipping. His pugilstic tri-
umphs have been duly chronicled IN BelTs
Life. In 1882 he retired from the ring, and
fifteen years later, being then forty-sx wears of
age, began to practise painting, and has since
tic professions of a publican and an artist. /
had heard rumors of Mr.. Wards pictorial bent,
had occasionally come across advertisements
which with admirable modesty announced the
fact that 'Jem Ward had Just finished another
picture, which he will challenge the world for
COLOR but never came across anybody who had
seen any specimen of his talent. determined
therefore to go and Judge for myself of the
pugilist- painters work. and, contrary to expec-
tation, found that it evinced much manipulative
dexterity and considerable poetic feeling. If
the pictures of Mr.. Ward presented no points
of interest beyond the fact of having been paiii-
ted by an 'ex-champion, and notice of them
would have been out of place in the pages Of
this journal but inasmuch as they really pos
sess intrinsic merit, wider popularity than
they have hitherto attained may very fairly be
accorded to them.
In the far east, in the unsavory locality called
Whitechapel road stands small public house.
A huge red lamp which hangs over the door
way proclaims to be THE Kings ARMS or
more Familiarity, Jem Wards Pushing aside
the door, the host is discovered standing be-
hind the bar dispensing beer and gin to GUS
toners, whose apparel is not clean, and whose
dicton is strong. His appearance, if not al
together refined, has none of the ordinary as
pect of the prize fighter. The head is broad.
massive and powerful, and the expression of
the face is honest, simple and intelligent. Your
errand stated, you are ushered by Jem' up an
awkward staircase, into parlor of dingy as
pect, and smelling somewhat strongly Of stale
tobacco smoke. The low ceiling is blackened
with the fumes of the gas Jets. Around the
room are hung some eight or ten of the pro-
prietors chefs dpuUre, in guilt frames, as fly
bitten as the walls on which they hang. Other
pictures, in various stages of progress, are
al
wall. A bench runs along one side of the
apartment, the furniture of which is coarse and
common, with the exception of rosewood
plano, the instrument belonging 10 the painters
daughter, pupil of Benedicts, and a pianist,
/ believe, of some celebrity. Such is the stu
dio of Jem Ward
A STRANGE HOME FOR THE ARTS.
a strange home for the arts it is in the midst
of the ceaseess roar of carts and omnibuses,
the continual cries of costermongers and haw-
kers and the frequent din of drunken squabbles
Jem is his own Snowman, and considerably
saves his visitors the trouble of venturing any
remarks on his pictures by criticizing them
himself. Difiidence is evidently word of the
meaning of which hciis ignorant, and any tri-
butte of praise that may be awarded to his work
is accepted not as a compliment but as king
accepts the homage of subject. In his own
over him either as painter or a connoisseur.
To quote his own words, he 'can do all that
Turner could do in color or atmosphere which
he considers his Jorte,' though he confesses with
cheerful frankness that Turner surpassed him
in detail That which has bafied the skill of
so many painters, the imitation of the subtitle
hues Of human flesh, is no myatery to Mr..
Ward He finds it very easy" The old
masters he considers almost uuapproachable in
this, but allows that Eta occasionally succeeded
we'll | had no opportunity of testing the ac-
curacy of the ex-champion's opinions as to the
facility he enjoyed in flesh painting, no portraits
OR figure subjects by him being at that time in
the house. A coarse-coored Autograph, from
picture he painted of the fight between Sayers
and Heonan, hangs in the bar; but this, of
course, only gives an idea of the arrangement
of the figures The original was painted in
opposition to the representation of the great
event published by Mr.. Newbold the cheap
printseler in the Strand. Jcm Wards version
has at least this advantage over its rival, that
the figures it contains are, for the most part,
directing their gaze 10 the main business in
hand, while the Newbold print at least half the
spectators are turning their backs on the con-
test, and testify their utter indifference to It's
results by glazing out of the picture with mos,
unproferrionai concern In other respects there
is much similarity between these works. and
both enforce the same moral with equal power
The coarse degraded features of the fancy
multitude, represented in each specimen will
harsh literality unredeemed by any refnemen
in art, afford very strong argument in favo
of the suppression of the prize-ring.
"Turner, to whom Mr.. Ward so often com
pares himself, had evidently been the model OF
which he has formed his style. One picture
an English landscape, with some sheep in thu
foreground and brilliant sunset sky, resem
bles somewhatthe style of Constable in the ex
ecution of the foliage. This is one of the mos
defined and finished works of the painter, bu
in general they all resemble, more or less, tn,
later manner of Turner. Venetian scenes Their
are, with the sea and sky blending into eacl
other in a sufiused mass Of light, revealin!
glimpses of hazy, pnky buildings, opposed b.
dark gondolas and vessels in the foreground
A cattle piece, in which two cows are painted
with Morland-like power of brush, is so good
and the back of the canvas looks so old, as t,
raise in my mind the unaIniabe suspicion tha
it is some lot purchased at a sale and sine
invested with color and atmosphere by Jem
but be this as it may, / saw ample evidence o
his artistic faculty.
HIS PICTURES.
ellis pictures are painted with great solidity
frmness, and reckless power of hand such n,
one might expect from practised bruiser
They display strong appreciation of color. per
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