In 1803 Ward saw 'A View of the Château de Steen' by Rubens, then the property of Sir George Beaumont. In the pictures such as this, shown at the Royal Academy in 1808, he emulated the fluid, expressive technique of the Flemish master. Unlike Rubens, he was fascinated by the ferocity of horses fighting - a classical theme revived in the Renaissance and most recently treated by George Stubbs. Here the stallions represent unbridled passion and natural instinct.
