Painted circa 1822 the present painting is a sketch for a larger painting which was commissioned by the Duke of Bedford for 500 guineas, and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1827 (no.64) as Sides All. The exhibited painting remained at Woburn Abbey until 1951 when it was acquired by Lord Hesketh. It is possible to discern the misty outline of St Paul's Cathedral in the distance, and it is likely that the composition is set in Kensington, where there is still a pub called The Bunch of Grapes.
Presumably painted for the Duke of Bedford; Presumably by family descent at Woburn Abbey; T. Waller in 1904
Exhibitions
Arts Council of Great Britain, James Ward Memorial Centenary Exhibition, 1960, no.31 (lent by Lord Hesketh); Northampton Central Museum and Art Gallery, Exhibition of Country Life Pictures from Northamptonshire Houses, 8th October - 5th November 1966, lot 71
Literature
Oliver Beckett, The Life and Work of James Ward, R.A., 1995, p.118