John Fletcher Moulton, 'Patents'

Spy renders the barrister and patent-law authority John Fletcher Moulton in three-quarter profile, one hand planted on his hip, the other hanging loose — a pose projecting confident, slightly combative authority. The pince-nez on a cord and the gold watch-chain supply the professional man's uniform. Ward's caricature exaggerates Moulton's broad, bald cranium and full moustache while keeping the body trim and upright, flattering the subject's intellectual reputation more than his vanity. The caption 'Patents' locates him precisely in his legal specialty rather than any political controversy.