New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-27

was always tormented by desire to have every
one admit that he was a greater man than
George Morland in the same field He had an
almost incredible conceit of himself. When one
Of his patrons. complaining that he had charged
too much for a portrait Of little dog, said that
neither Snyders nor Rubens would have asked
the same sum, Ward replied that he had often
been told that in comparison with himself
Rubens was gross and vulgar" He felt that
he and Michael Angelo had much in common,
but he considered that he possessed more unity
of purpose than distinguished the older painter"
When he copied a picture by Titan he declared
that his copy was at least equal TO the orig
inal" Late in life he turned from the painting
of animals to the painting of allegories, and
nothing could make him see that the step was
disastrous James Ward was in short. one OF
those unfortunates who do not know when they
are well off. His vanity and his quarrelsone
disposition spoiled his Iife and his biography IS
as pathetic as it is fantastic. But We forgive
him his foibles in view of the fact that he IN
doubtedly knew how to paint His landscapes
with animals and his pictures of individual
horses. cows or dogs are examples Of kind Of
robust realism, truthful and individualiZed He
was not we believe. quite the master that Mrs.
Frankau thinks he was. He was deficient in
that indefinabIe quality which we call genius
the quality of a Barge. But he had vigOr and
movement his animals alive. and they are
presented in good compositions He leaves the
impression. both in his paintings and In his
prints of a remarkable if not inspired crafts
man.
William Ward. though not so powerful an
artist as his brother, possessed delicaCy which
makes his engravings works of great charm
His star plates are such meZzotints as the
one after Hoppner's Miranda" which is fault
IacoI1- in DublcatiO He handles
the flowing lines of the wind blown drapery in
this portrait the rich masses of tone in the
turbulent sky and in the rocks which fill part
of the background. with absolute authority.
Another of the plates here, one after the "Juven-
lie Retirement" which belongs among Hoppners
lovelest groups shows with what skill and free
dom he could interpret the landscape in the
background of portrait His mezzotlnts are
pure in tone and are marked also by that sure
ness of touch which prOclaims the master But
there is another phase of William Wards art
which is even more beguiling- He was a felici-
tous designer. well engraver. of circular
or oval stipples of dainty feminine types. frag-
lie creatures of flowing skirts. coquettish gauze
shawIs and voluminous hats He cOlored them
with few delicate tints OF blue, green and
rose. which relieved the black and white with
inimitable effect. One thinks of the lightness
and charm of the eighteenth century French
men, IN looking at MS ,ALhua' Ior example ING
heroine of which leans against tree like an
insubstantial visitant all softneSs and pretti-
ness. Beneath the portrait these Iines:-
For PHYS sake: AIinda. veil those eyes
Captves enough thou hast to drag thy chains.
In each bewitchinS glance cOnquestS rise.
In eVry smile there turks thousand pains
Alinda does not quite justify this rapture.
but size IS adorable in her way. a little. fluffy
thing of artless grace and sweetness. Wards
big mezzotints are magnificent They Illus
trate the best traditions of the art and the
productions of them in Mrs. Frankau's port
folio more than welcome. Yet there is
something so bewitching about his romantic
Alindas and Louisas. about the plates he stip-
pied from sentimental designs by himself.
MOrland and others. that cordially approve
their Communicating the more elaborate per-
formances in this collection. They are the most
engaging things in work that is altogether
beautiful