John Stanton Ward
Encyclopedia
John Stanton Ward CBE
(10 October 1917 - 13 June 2007) was an English portrait artist, landscape painter and illustrator. His subjects included British royalty and celebrities.
, where his father, Russell Stanton Ward, ran an antiques shop and restored paintings. He was the youngest in a family of seven children, living in a flat above the shop. His father died when he was young. He was educated at St Owen's School in Hereford, and then from 1932 to 1936 at the small Hereford School of Arts and Crafts. With financial support from the Principal, Sir William Rothenstein
, he won a place at the Royal College of Art
in London in 1936, where he studied under Gilbert Spencer
, Barnett Freedman
, Percy Horton
, Charles Mahoney
and Alan Sorrell
, winning the prize for drawing.
He served in the Royal Engineers
in the Second World War from 1939, and used his drawing skills to design pillbox
es in Kent. He was posted to Belgium
after the war, where he met his future wife Alison Williams in Ghent
. He was demobbed in 1946, and returned to the Royal College of Art for one year, winning its travelling scholarship in 1947.
He drew illustrations for guides to Herefordshire and North Yorkshire. Finding that a Hereford art school colleague was now art editor at Vogue
, he was commissioned to draw illustrations for the magazine from 1948 to 1952. He married Alison in 1950, and moved to Bilting Court - a Tudor house near Ashford
, Kent - in 1954.
He taught at Wimbledon School of Art, and his volume of work and income expanded as his reputation and connections grew. He exhibited at Agnew's gallery, and at the Maas Gallery. He drew illustrations for Laurie Lee
's Cider with Rosie
(1959), H.E. Bates's The Darling Buds Of May
(1958) and An Autobiography (1969–72) and for Joyce Grenfell
's George, Don't Do That (1977). He made illustrations for a number of large companies - BP
, Shell
, Whitbread
- and undertook portraits of royalty, cabinet ministers, city businessmen, and celebrities - Joyce Grenfell
, Sir Michael Adeane, Sir Roger Bannister
, Lord Denning, Norman Parkinson
and Sir Arthur Norrington - and for members of the Society of Dilettanti and of Annabel's
. His royal portraits included The Princess of Wakes
in her wedding dress, The Princess Royal
, and the Duchess of Gloucester. He painted the christenings of Prince William and Prince Harry
, and also gave drawing lessons to The Prince of Wales
. He also made "coloured drawing" (drawings tinted with watercolour) of landscapes. Fifteen of his portraits are held by the National Portrait Gallery.
He became an associate of the Royal Academy
in 1956, and a full member in 1966 (he was a Trustee from 1985 to 1993). He and three other members of the Royal Academy
resigned in 1997 in protest at the Sensation exhibition. He never rejoined. He was also a member of the Royal Watercolour Society
, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
(Vice-President from 1980 to 1985) and the New English Art Club
. He received an honorary doctorate from University of Kent
in 1982, and was appointed CBE
in 1985.
He died in Bilting
, Kent
, and was survived by his wife, their four sons and two daughters. His daughter, Celia Ward, is also a painter.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(10 October 1917 - 13 June 2007) was an English portrait artist, landscape painter and illustrator. His subjects included British royalty and celebrities.
Life and Work
Ward was born in HerefordHereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, where his father, Russell Stanton Ward, ran an antiques shop and restored paintings. He was the youngest in a family of seven children, living in a flat above the shop. His father died when he was young. He was educated at St Owen's School in Hereford, and then from 1932 to 1936 at the small Hereford School of Arts and Crafts. With financial support from the Principal, Sir William Rothenstein
William Rothenstein
Sir William Rothenstein was an English painter, draughtsman and writer on art.-Life and work:William Rothenstein was born into a German-Jewish family in Bradford, West Yorkshire. His father, Moritz, emigrated from Germany in 1859 to work in Bradford's burgeoning textile industry...
, he won a place at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
in London in 1936, where he studied under Gilbert Spencer
Gilbert Spencer
Gilbert Spencer R.A. was a British painter of landscapes, portraits figure compositions and mural decoarions. He worked in oils and watercolor...
, Barnett Freedman
Barnett Freedman
Barnett Freedman CBE was a British artist, commercial designer, book illustrator, typographer, and lithographer.Freedman, the son of East-End Russian-Jewish immigrants, was self-educated during four years in hospitals, between the ages of nine and thirteen, because of asthma that was to trouble...
, Percy Horton
Percy Horton
Percy Frederick Horton MA, RBA, ARCA was an English painter and art teacher, and Ruskin Master of Drawing, University of Oxford from 1949 to 1964...
, Charles Mahoney
Charles Mahoney
Charles Mahoney was an Irish Franciscan. He is a Catholic martyr, beatified in 1987.-Life:The documentary evidence is scanty...
and Alan Sorrell
Alan Sorrell
Alan Sorrell was in fact born in Southend, Essex, England, the son of a jeweller, who would take him drawing at an early age. He was trained at the Royal College of Art , and then won a scholarship to the British School of Rome . He was a Senior Assistant Instructor of Drawing, Royal College of...
, winning the prize for drawing.
He served in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in the Second World War from 1939, and used his drawing skills to design pillbox
Pillbox
Pillbox may refer to:* A pill organizer* Pillbox hat* Military term for a type of bunker* For military pillboxes in the UK, see: British hardened field defences of World War II...
es in Kent. He was posted to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
after the war, where he met his future wife Alison Williams in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
. He was demobbed in 1946, and returned to the Royal College of Art for one year, winning its travelling scholarship in 1947.
He drew illustrations for guides to Herefordshire and North Yorkshire. Finding that a Hereford art school colleague was now art editor at Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, he was commissioned to draw illustrations for the magazine from 1948 to 1952. He married Alison in 1950, and moved to Bilting Court - a Tudor house near Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, Kent - in 1954.
He taught at Wimbledon School of Art, and his volume of work and income expanded as his reputation and connections grew. He exhibited at Agnew's gallery, and at the Maas Gallery. He drew illustrations for Laurie Lee
Laurie Lee
Laurence Edward Alan "Laurie" Lee, MBE was an English poet, novelist, and screenwriter, raised in the village of Slad, and went to Marling School, Gloucestershire. His most famous work was an autobiographical trilogy which consisted of Cider with Rosie , As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning and...
's Cider with Rosie
Cider with Rosie
Cider with Rosie is a 1959 book by Laurie Lee . It is the first book of a trilogy that continues with As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning and A Moment of War...
(1959), H.E. Bates's The Darling Buds Of May
The Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally...
(1958) and An Autobiography (1969–72) and for Joyce Grenfell
Joyce Grenfell
Joyce Irene Grenfell, OBE was an English actress, comedienne, diseuse and singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
's George, Don't Do That (1977). He made illustrations for a number of large companies - BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Whitbread
Whitbread
Whitbread PLC is a global hotel, coffee shop and restaurant company headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. Its largest division is Premier Inn, which is the largest hotel brand in the UK with around 580 hotels and over 40,000 rooms. Its Costa Coffee chain has around 1,600 stores across 25...
- and undertook portraits of royalty, cabinet ministers, city businessmen, and celebrities - Joyce Grenfell
Joyce Grenfell
Joyce Irene Grenfell, OBE was an English actress, comedienne, diseuse and singer-songwriter.-Early life:...
, Sir Michael Adeane, Sir Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
, Lord Denning, Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson
Norman Parkinson, CBE was a celebrated English portrait and fashion photographer.-Biography:Parkinson was born in London, and educated at Westminster School. He began his career in 1931 as an apprentice to the court photographers Speaight and Sons Ltd...
and Sir Arthur Norrington - and for members of the Society of Dilettanti and of Annabel's
Annabel's
Annabel's is a London nightclub, located at 44 Berkeley Square, London. It was founded by entrepreneur Mark Birley and named after Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart, then his wife.-Background:...
. His royal portraits included The Princess of Wakes
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
in her wedding dress, The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and the Duchess of Gloucester. He painted the christenings of Prince William and Prince Harry
Prince Harry of Wales
Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, and also gave drawing lessons to The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. He also made "coloured drawing" (drawings tinted with watercolour) of landscapes. Fifteen of his portraits are held by the National Portrait Gallery.
He became an associate of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1956, and a full member in 1966 (he was a Trustee from 1985 to 1993). He and three other members of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
resigned in 1997 in protest at the Sensation exhibition. He never rejoined. He was also a member of the Royal Watercolour Society
Royal Watercolour Society
The Royal Watercolour Society is an English institution of painters working in watercolours...
, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a British association of portrait painters which holds an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London...
(Vice-President from 1980 to 1985) and the New English Art Club
New English Art Club
The New English Art Club was founded in London in 1885 as an alternate venue to the Royal Academy.-History:Young English artists returning from studying art in Paris mounted the first exhibition of the New English Art Club in April 1886...
. He received an honorary doctorate from University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
in 1982, and was appointed CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1985.
He died in Bilting
Bilting
Bilting is a hamlet within the civil parish of Godmersham in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It is located south of Godmersham, and three miles northwest of Ashford town.The village is home to one of the first mushroom farms in the country....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and was survived by his wife, their four sons and two daughters. His daughter, Celia Ward, is also a painter.
External links
- J. S. Ward on Artnet
- Paintings by J. S. Ward (Bridgeman Art LIbrary)
- J S Ward (National Maritime MuseumNational Maritime MuseumThe National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
, Greenwich, London) - Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery