A Cedar on a Rise with a Herd of Deer Grouped Beneath its Shade 1814

James Ward created this drawing of ‘A Cedar on a Rise with a Herd of Deer Grouped Beneath its Shade’ sometime in the early 19th century. At this time, the British Romantic movement was well underway. Its influence can be seen in Ward’s detailed rendering of nature as a site of both serenity and the sublime. Ward was known for his animal paintings, and here the deer add a delicate, almost familial touch to the scene. They gather peacefully under the cedar tree, which may symbolize protection. There’s a sense of a safe haven. Yet, the deer were also a popular target for hunters, so this idyllic image exists in tension with the realities of the hunt, and the class dynamics that underpinned it. The drawing’s sepia tones evoke a sense of nostalgia, suggesting a longing for a simpler, perhaps idealized past. This resonates with broader Romantic themes of escaping the industrial revolution’s rapid changes by returning to nature. It’s a quiet, contemplative scene, inviting us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and the complex layers of meaning we project onto it.