An original watercolour and bodycolour caricature portrait of the High Court Judge, Lord Warrington by SPY [pseudonym of Sir Leslie WARD (1851-1922, artist)] - 1907

[London, 1907. Watercolour and bodycolour, signed `Spy'. A fine watercolour character portrait by `Spy' of Thomas Rolls Warrington, the original of an image that was reproduced in `Vanity Fair' on 27 November 1907, under the title `A very Sound Judge. Mr. Justice Rolls Warrington'. 'Spy' was the pseudonym adopted by Leslie Ward when he began his career as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair Magazine in 1873. Ward was born in 1851 into an artistic dynasty, both his parents were painters, and on his mother's side her father and grandfather were artists or engravers, as was her uncle, and her great uncle was George Morland. Unsurprisingly, given heredity and environment, Ward showed a precocious talent and in 1871 was studying at the Royal Academy Schools. John Everett Millais was struck by his caricatures and introduced him to Thomas Gibson Bowles, the proprietor of Vanity Fair. For the next thirty six years his character portraits of the rich and famous of the day enjoyed tremendous popularity, and in 1918 he was knighted in recognition of his contribution. Thomas Rolls Warrington (1851-1937) was called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn in 1875, where he became a pupil of F. Millar, Q.C. `He soon acquired a reputation as a junior and, to quote from the letterpress of a cartoon of him in Vanity Fair , `by dint of care, industry and ability, acquired a large practice on the Chancery side'. He took silk in 1895, and, in accordance with the system then in force, attached himself to the court of Sir Arthur Kekewich... He soon established a considerable influence over that judge. The possibility of such influence was one of the main objections to the `tied silk' system, but it can be said with certainty that Warrington never abused the influence which he obtained and thoroughly deserved the confidence of the judge. To other counsel he set a fine example. He knew his papers thoroughly; he treated his junior with a courtesy almost amounting to deference and his opponent, whether experienced leader or young junior, with exemplary politeness and respect. He was elected a bencher of his Inn in 1897. In April 1904 Warrington was appointed a judge of the Chancery division of the High Court. His appointment was universally approved and he at once gained, and retained, the respect and affection of those who practiced before him. In 1915 he was promoted to the Court of Appeal and sworn of the Privy Council.' ( Dictionary of National Biography ). He was raised to the peerage, on his retirement in October 1926, as Baron Warrington of Clyffe. Literature: Published in Vanity Fair Magazine, 27 November 1907 (a copy of the published print mounted on the verso of the frame of the present work).