From the exhibition
'Father' — Mr C. M. Wells
Leslie Ward · 10 July 1907

Leslie Ward ('Spy') renders cricketer C. M. Wells in profile, dressed in cream flannels, a cream sweater with a striped collar, and a dark blue cap — the full late-Victorian batting and bowling kit. Wells cradles a red cricket ball in both hands, mid-stride, as though returning to his mark. The caption reads "Father" with his name appended below, a nickname suggesting either seniority in the dressing room or a reputation for paternalistic authority over younger players. Ward's caricature is mild: the moustache is slightly thickened, the jaw squared, the posture gently self-important — the Spy formula of affectionate mockery aimed squarely at the English gentleman amateur.
Leslie Ward CC0