Oil on Masonite, signed at lower left, inscribed to verso, presented in a period frame from Husar Picture Frame Co. of Chicago. (stamped H.P.F.Co.).

Board 16 x 12 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 22 1/2 x 18 1/2 in.

From the Collection of the late Judith Jacobson Magee, Durham, North Carolina

Charles Ward was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He was a machinist's son and went into the family trade. A teacher at his vocational school noticed he had a gift for painting and drawing and encouraged him to pursue these talents.

Charles attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1926 until 1931, studying painting and sculpture. He won the Thompson Prize for Composition; the Lea Award for Draughtsmanship, and, in 1930, the Cresson European Traveling Scholarship.

Upon his return from traveling Europe, Ward settled in Carversville, Pennsylvania. He was widely admired for his emotive landscapes of the Bucks County area, as well as his mural works throughout the country, including "Cotton Picking" at the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina post office.

Good estate condition; no evidence of retouch visible under UV light.