The Devonshire Ox 1801

James Ward made this painting of a Devonshire Ox, using oil on canvas. The careful build-up of paint, applied in thin layers, suggests the bulk of the animal. Ward has scumbled the surface in places, creating a rough texture that conveys the animal’s coarse hair. The making process is quite traditional, yet we can consider the cultural significance of this work. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as Britain industrialized, agricultural science advanced, and livestock breeding became more systematic. Paintings like this one served as a kind of advertisement, a way of celebrating the economic potential of improved breeds. The labor of animal husbandry is implicit in this work. So, next time you see a painting, remember it is not just an image, but the product of skilled work, capturing broader cultural forces.