228 ANIMAL PAINTERS 



William Ward had married a sister of Morland's ; 

 and Morland had married a sister of the Wards. 

 James was therefore brought much in contact with 

 him and came under his direct influence in the 

 studio ; in his early days he copied some of his 

 paintings and learned the secret of his touch ; and 

 he also engraved three of his best pictures, namely, 

 The Fruits of Early Industry and Economy, 

 Smugglers, and Fishwomen. And as he gave 

 an increasing portion of his time to painting and 

 less to engraving, he was more in Morland's society, 

 and was more greatly influenced by his style. 



That Morland's influence appeared in James 

 Ward's earlier works was apparent to critics at 

 the time. He was regarded as a pupil of Morland, 

 and it was not to his advantage to be so regarded, 

 for that artist's popularity and fame, won by his 

 extraordinary talent for delineating scenes of a 

 domestic character — conversation pieces, landscapes 

 with horses, cattle and other domestic animals — 

 was on the wane ; and where the master had 

 ceased to gain acceptance it was hardly likely his 

 supposed pupil should succeed. 



One of James Ward's exhibits at the Royal 

 Academy was a picture entitled Selling Rabbits. 

 This work and another of somewhat similar cha- 

 racter, " The Citizen's Retreat," both suggesting 

 the influence of Morland, were engraved by his 



