From the exhibition
Henry Savile, 'The Turf'
Leslie Ward · January 3, 1880

Leslie Ward ('Spy') renders Henry Savile in profile, a lean figure in a dark double-breasted frock coat and silk top hat, a riding crop tucked under one arm. The caption 'The Turf' identifies him as a figure of the horse-racing world rather than a politician or professional man. Ward's caricature exaggerates Savile's auburn mutton-chop whiskers and beard into a vivid copper mass — the primary comic accent on an otherwise composed, even dignified silhouette. No ethnic caricature is present; the humour is social, gently deflating a gentleman of leisure. The composition is characteristic of Ward's economy: a plain ground, minimal shadow, the personality carried entirely by posture and one amplified facial feature.
Leslie Ward Public domain