Mr. James Derby Playing the Violin 

This sketch of Mr. James Derby playing the violin was made by James Ward using graphite on paper. Ward’s technique here is quite traditional, yet it's how he uses this medium that is most striking. Notice the almost frantic, searching quality of the lines, especially around the hands and face. Ward coaxes out his likeness through a web of strokes, piling up the darkness to create the figure, which is very immediate and intimate. The marks feel unmediated, as though the artist is thinking aloud through his pencil. In the absence of other information, we can appreciate the skill of a professional artist, deeply embedded in a specific culture and time. It is through these elements that the work gains its significance, blurring the lines between fine art and the craft of drawing.