Mr Christopher W. Wilson

Ward's plate presents Christopher Wyndham Wilson in three-quarter profile, hands tucked behind his back, body canted forward in the characteristic Spy posture that gently mocks a subject's self-importance. The striped trousers, black frock coat, bow tie, and gold watch-chain mark him as prosperous sporting gentry; the reddish mutton-chop beard and prominent belly are lightly exaggerated. The caption reads simply Mr Christopher W. Wilson. Wilson was a notable horse-trainer and owner of the period, and the caricature's visual argument is entirely social rather than political: here is a well-fed Englishman whose standing rests on the turf rather than Parliament, treated with Spy's customary mild affection for the comfortable classes rather than satirical bite.