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Item Details

Victorian Naïve School Oil Painting
“Prized Shorthorn Bull” – British School, After William Ward
Subject & Medium
Title: Prized Shorthorn Bull – British School, after William Ward
A characterful 19th-century / Victorian oil on canvas livestock portrait depicting a brown-and-white prized Shorthorn bull, shown in full left profile standing in an open green field beneath a softly clouded sky. A tall tree to the upper left anchors the composition and provides a natural frame for the animal, lending the scene a classic rural charm.
Composition & Technique
The bull’s strong, well-built form is rendered in warm, naturalistic tones – deep russets, creamy whites and chestnut hues – set against fresh green pasture and a soft blue-grey sky. Delicate, controlled brushwork describes the distinctive coat pattern, horns and solid head, while looser, more expressive strokes capture the texture of the grass, the foliage of the tree and the movement of the clouds.
The painting strikes a balance between realism and rustic simplicity. Rather than meticulous photographic detail, the emphasis is on conveying the bull’s stance, conformation and personality. It is firmly rooted in the British provincial livestock portrait tradition, often referred to as “primitive” or “naïve” in style – the very quality that makes such works so appealing to collectors today.
Attribution – In the Manner of William Ward
Although unsigned, the subject, composition and treatment closely relate to paintings in the manner of William Ward and the broader circle of British livestock and animal painters who recorded prize-winning cattle, horses and sheep for breeders and landowners. It is not offered as a signed Ward, but clearly follows the visual language of that British School of agricultural portraiture, making it a desirable piece for those who collect rural, farming and folk art.
Provenance & Exhibition
The work is executed on a French 8F (46 × 38 cm) trade canvas and stretcher, carrying a “Marque Déposée” B-in-lozenge maker’s label and stamp on the reverse, consistent with late 19th-century production.
Provenance includes:
Private collection
Subsequently sold through the well-regarded auction house Golding Young & Mawer
Later in the collection of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire, as part of a display celebrating British rural and agricultural heritage
Professional Conservation & Condition
The painting has recently been conserved by a museum-based professional fine art conservator whose studio is at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum. Conservation treatment comprised:
Consolidation of lifting and raised paint
Removal of surface dirt, spots, marks and fibres
Careful reduction of discoloured or inappropriate overpaint
Filling of small paint losses
Application of a fresh varnish
Sensitive retouching of areas of loss
Final protective varnish layer
The surface now presents as clean, unified and legible, with the image significantly refreshed while retaining its honest period character. Historic craquelure, age-related texture and minor old imperfections remain visible, exactly as expected in a genuine 19th-century canvas. Overall, the painting is structurally sound, professionally conserved and ready to hang.
Framed Dimensions
Height: 45 cm
Width: 52 cm
Depth: 3 cm
Frame
Presented in a later decorative gilt frame with moulded detail, offering the quintessential Victorian country-house look. The gilding shows typical age-related wear: light rubbing, small chips, minor losses to the raised areas and some accumulated dust in the crevices, all of which enhance its period feel. The frame is stable, suits the painting well, and is fitted with a hanging cord so it can go straight on the wall.
Historical Context & Collecting Interest – Shorthorn & Livestock Portraiture
The Shorthorn is one of Britain’s great cattle breeds, developed in the late 18th and 19th centuries in northern England and southern Scotland. It was at the heart of the “improved” livestock movement during the Agricultural Revolution, valued both for beef and dairy, and widely exported around the globe.
In the 19th century, breeders and estate owners frequently commissioned portraits of their finest animals to commemorate prize-winners at agricultural shows and to document important bloodlines. Such paintings hung in country-house interiors, farm offices and agricultural club rooms, acting as both status symbols and visual records of breeding achievements.
By the 20th century, works of this kind came to be appreciated not only as agricultural documents but also as engaging examples of folk and naïve art. They are now collected by museums of rural life and social history, major sporting- and animal-art collectors, and folk-art enthusiasts who admire their straightforward, characterful style.
This painting sits comfortably within that tradition: a decorative yet historically meaningful survivor from Britain’s agricultural past, encapsulating the pride, status and prestige associated with the Shorthorn breed.
Why You’ll Love It
Authentic 19th-century oil on canvas livestock portrait in the British Naïve School
In the manner of William Ward and the provincial prize-animal painters
Warm pastoral palette and a strong, engaging depiction of a Shorthorn bull
Professionally conserved by a museum-based fine art conservator (M.A.)
Attractive provenance including sale through Golding Young & Mawer and exhibition at the Famous Lord Hill Museum
Ready to hang – a perfect focal point for a kitchen, study, office or country-inspired interior
Worldwide Shipping
The painting will be professionally packed and fully insured to ensure safe delivery worldwide.
Click “Buy It Now” to secure this distinctive Victorian livestock portrait before it disappears from the market.
Visit our gallery, Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, to explore more carefully selected fine art and decorative pieces.

• Period: 1890
• • Price: £4,950.00
  • €5,656 Euro
  • $6,606 US Dollar
• Location: London
• • Dimensions: H: 45cm (17.72in)
  • W: 52cm (20.47in)
  • D: 3cm (1.18in)