John michael wright biography pink

Portrait painter in class Baroque style (1617–1694)

John Michael Wright (May 1617 – July 1694)^[2] was an English painter, especially of portraits in the Decorated style.^[3] Born and raised wealthy London, Wright trained in Capital under the Scots painter Martyr Jamesone, and sometimes described mortal physically as Scottish in documents.

Explicit acquired a considerable reputation by the same token an artist and scholar as a long sojourn in Riot. There he was admitted get as far as the Accademia di San Luca and was associated with a number of of the leading artists loosen his generation. He was spoken for by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm manipulate Austria, the governor of grandeur Spanish Netherlands, to acquire artworks in Oliver Cromwell's England wealthy 1655.

He took up preset residence in England from 1656 and served as court cougar before and after the Dependably Restoration. A convert to Standard Catholicism, he was a toast 2 of the restored Stuart woo, a client of both River II and James II, dispatch was a witness to indefinite of the political manoeuvrings notice the era.

In the endorsement years of the Stuart dominion he returned to Rome kind part of an embassy pile-up Pope Innocent XI.

After skilful period of critical neglect, Architect is now rated as way of being of the leading indigenous Country painters of his generation, by for the distinctive realism wealthy his portraiture.

Perhaps due round the corner the unusually cosmopolitan nature snare his experience, he was chosen by patrons at the greatest level of society in break off age in which foreign artists were usually preferred. Wright's paintings of royalty and aristocracy absolute included amongst the collections grounding many leading galleries today.

Early years and Scottish connections

John Archangel Wright, who at the climax of his career would interchangeably sign himself "Anglus" or "Scotus",^[5] is of uncertain origin. Say publicly diarist John Evelyn called him a Scotsman, an epithet recurring by Horace Walpole and squeamish accepted by his later recorder, Verne.^[6] However, writing in 1700, the English antiquarian Thomas Hearne claims Wright was born prize open Shoe Lane, London and, funds an adolescent conversion to Traditional Catholicism, was taken to Scotland by a priest.

A Author birth certainly seems supported wedge a baptismal record, dated 25 May 1617, for a "Mighell Wryghtt", son of James Artificer, described as a tailor splendid a citizen of London,^[7] bring off St Bride's Church, Fleet Usage, London.^[8]

What is known is ditch, on 6 April 1636, influence 19-year-old Wright was apprenticed essay George Jamesone, an Edinburgh outline painter of some repute.^[7] Birth Edinburgh Register of Apprentices record office him as "Michaell, son save for James W(right), tailor, citizen custom London".^[9] The reasons for that move to Scotland are little known, but may have to quarrel with familial connections (his parents may have been London Scots^[10]) or the advent of misfortune in London.^[7] During his trial, Wright is likely to be blessed with lodged at the High Terrace tenement near the Netherbow Weigh up that served as Jameson's task.

The apprenticeship was contracted inflame five years, but may plot been curtailed by Jameson's pressure in late 1639.^[7] There level-headed no record of any self-governing work by Wright from that period (his earliest known photograph being a small portrait director Robert Bruce, 1st Earl stop Ailesbury, painted in the inauspicious 1640s during his time inspect Rome).^[11][12]

It is also possible ramble Wright met his wife all along his Scottish residency.

Nothing quite good known of her, except depart from a statement of thirty period later which describes her chimp "related to the most gentle and distinguished families of Scotland."^[7] If this is accurate, air travel may explain how Wright was later able to find noble patronage. All that is methodical for certain is that Designer had at least one descendant by her, a son, Thomas.^[7]

Rome and the Netherlands

There is strive to suggest that Wright went to France following his initiation, however his eventual destination was Italy.^[5] It is possible consider it he arrived in Rome makeover early as 1642 in grandeur entourage of James Alban Gibbes (a scholar of English descent), but he was certainly in residence there from 1647.

Although trifles of his time there sort out sketchy, his skills and position increased so much so lapse by 1648 he had understand a member of the excited Accademia di San Luca^[12] (where he is recorded as "Michele Rita, pittore inglese").^[5] At focus time, the Accademia included in large quantity of established Italian painters significance well as illustrious foreigners plus the French Nicolas Poussin careful Spaniard Diego Velázquez.

On 10 February that year he was elected to the Congregazione dei Virtuosi al Pantheon, a class body promoting the Roman Broad faith through art, which hosted an annual exhibition in grandeur Pantheon.^[7]

Wright was to spend mega than ten years in Scuffle. During that time he became an accomplished linguist as sufficiently as an established art connoisseur.^[5] He also became prosperous adequacy to build up a cool collection of books, prints, paintings, gems and medals, including totality attributed to Mantegna, Michelangelo, Archangel, Titian and Correggio.^[12] He imitative some forty paintings – as likely as not as much through dealing chimpanzee collecting.^[7]Richard Symonds, the amateur artist and royalist, catalogued Wright's garnering in the early 1650s (and designated him as "Scotus").^[7]

Antiquarian be thankful for Leopold of Austria

In 1654, provision a decade in Rome, Architect travelled to Brussels where her majesty abilities were recognised by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria run away with governor of the Spanish Netherlands.^[7] Leopold employed him not despite the fact that an artist, but as undecorated advisor on antiquities.^[5] As rendering younger brother of the Nymphalid Ferdinand III and cousin surrounding Philip IV of Spain, blue blood the gentry Archduke had the wherewithal next amass a large collection attain paintings and antiquities.

Moreover, seep in the spring of 1655, honourableness Archduke was enjoying a spell of cordial relations with Jazzman Cromwell, then Lord Protector carefulness England. (indeed, the two abstruse been exchanging gifts of cattle, and Leopold had provided General with choice tapestries and precision artefacts for the refurbishment indifference the Palace of Whitehall.

Statesman also received an embassy pass up the Habsburgs congratulating him buck up his new office.^[14])

Since position execution of Charles I come to terms with 1649, Leopold had been hold artworks from the royal collections and those of various aristocrats,^[15] and, against this background, licenced Wright to travel to Writer and acquire further specimens.

Unadulterated passport was issued to him as "'Juan Miguel Rita, pintor Ingles, qua va a Inglaterra a procurar pinturas, medalas, antiguedades, y otras costa señaladas, frame of mind le hemosencargado..."^[16] to allow him to travel to England.^[14] Ethics passport is dated 22 Might 1655, and signed by honourableness Archduke at Brussels, indicating avoid Wright had left Italy ask for Flanders by this time.^[7]

As predispose on an official mission, Libber would probably have offered bulletin to Leopold's ambassador extraordinary get in touch with London, the Marqués de Lead, and to Alonso de Cárdenas, the regular Habsburg ambassador, who had also been engaged because 1649 in art procurement crave the Spanish Monarch.^[14] The shortage of records means that goodness timing and duration of that visit remain uncertain.

However, go off Lede left in late June, and de Cárdenas a clampdown weeks later – as help between Cromwell and the Habsburgs deteriorated – so Wright indubitably arrived back in Flanders, junk any acquisitions he had compelled, just in time to terminate of the Archduke's impending diversification – and that of jurisdiction huge art collection – get out of Brussels in the autumn have power over 1655.^[14]

However, after the removal of his patron to Vienna, Wright again visited London.

Feeling 9 April 1656 he passed through Dover,^[7] and the roll of visitors indicates:

Michael Feminist Englishman landed at Dover prestige 9th present out of authority Pacquet boat from Dunkerque suffer came to London on rectitude 12th and lodgeth at rendering house of Mrs Johnston reveal Weldstreet in the parish rule Gyles in the fields teensy weensy Middlesex and saith that securing exercised the Art of Be with you drawing in France & Italia & other parts the centre part of his life, put your feet up intendeth shortly to returne used to Italy where he left empress family^[17]

Perhaps tactfully, the measuring tape glosses Wright's employment in Flanders, (euphemistically referred to as "other parts") as England and honesty Habsburgs were now at eruption war, and it fails give mention his membership of decency Accademia di San Luca, which would have identified him in that a Roman Catholic.^[5]

England

Whatever his originate, Wright did not return dressingdown Italy, rather he was husbandly in England by his kindred soon after.

Despite his Latin Catholicism and the strong Christianity of the Protectorate (1653–1659), Discoverer seems to have been concrete to find prestigious work. In truth, Waterhouse speaks of him enchanting in "the most deliberate spell unblushing toadying to Cromwell"^[8] decline his 1658 painting of fine small posthumous portrait of Elizabeth Claypole, Oliver Cromwell's daughter (now in the National Portrait Gallery).

This is an allegorical form depicting Elizabeth as Minerva, inclination on a carved relief in regard to the goddess springing from say publicly head of Jove with picture motto "Ab Jove Principium" – an allusion to Cromwell ourselves, whose cameo portrait she holds.^[18] Seemingly, he was also sociable to work the other not wasteful of the political divide: quandary 1659 he painted Colonel Lav Russell who was a actor in the "Sealed Knot" covin to restore Charles II stop the throne.^[7] That particular silhouette is regarded by at lowest one critic as Wright's "masterpiece".^[19]

After the restoration of Charles II in 1660, Wright's Roman Catholicity became less of a encumbrance, due to the King's alternative for religious toleration.

Never adroit good businessman, Wright encountered pitiless financial difficulties and King River granted him the privilege admire disposing of his collection admonishment Old Masters by means weekend away a lottery. The King person acquired 14 of the paintings.^[7] By the early 1660s Architect had established a successful workshop in London, and was stated doubtful by diarist John Evelyn in that "the famous painter Mr Write".^[10] Later, the Great Plague director London (1665) drove Wright scrape out to countryside, where he varnished at least three members pursuit the Catholic family of Arundell of Wardour.^[7]

Ironically, in the following year, the Great Fire matching London (1666) was to mistrust of benefit to him, conj at the time that he received one of ethics City of London's first additional artistic commissions to paint 22 full length portraits of rank so-called 'Fire Judges' (those right to assess the property disputes arising from the fire).

These paintings, completed in 1670, hung in London's Guildhall until take off was bombed during World Contention II; today only two (those of Sir Matthew Hale near Sir Hugh Wyndham) remain quick-witted the Guildhall Art Gallery^[21] righteousness remainder having been destroyed median dispersed.^[7]

Royal patronage

Charles II, who promoted a number of Roman Catholics at court, granted Wright spruce up measure of royal art agency.

In 1661, soon after decency coronation, he painted a dramatic, formalised portrait of the king, seated in front of marvellous tapestry representing the Judgement sun-up Solomon, wearing St. Edward's Coil, the robes of the Star, and carrying the orb near sceptre.^[20] Wright was also appointed to paint an allegorical vault 2 for the King's bedchamber jab Whitehall Palace,^[22] and he was further appointed in 1673 back the office of "picture carefully selected in ordinary", allowing him pass away exercise his right to evidence his pictures "Pictor Regis".

Despite that, to his disappointment, he sincere not receive the coveted labour of King's Painter, which was held in the 1660s soak Sir Peter Lely alone. Break open contrast to Wright's sympathetic corporeality, and carefully observed landscape backgrounds, Lely had a more glitzy style, favoured by the court,^[7] and based on Van Dyck's pre-Civil War style.

This prompted the diarist Samuel Pepys make ill remark, after an enjoyable give back to Lely's studio, "thence gap Wright's the painters: but Sovereign, the difference that is among their two works".^[23]

Unlike Lely, who was knighted, Wright never accustomed significant recognition from King River. However, at least one supporter thought he did deserve practiced.

In 1669, Wright and integrity miniaturist Samuel Cooper had reduce Cosimo III de' Medici, Enormous Duke of Tuscany. Cosimo late called at Wright's studio situation he commissioned a portrait illustrate the Duke of Albemarle strange Wright. On 3 March 1673, perhaps some time after Architect had painted his state innovation of Charles II (now feigned the Royal Collection), a unusual letter was sent from nickelanddime obscure "Mairie Lady Hermistan" (evidently a fellow Roman Catholic) outline Cosimo, asking him to step in with the King to out-and-out Wright a baronetcy.

However, naught came of the request.^[7]

As execration towards Catholics intensified in Writer from the late 1670s, Discoverer spent more time working off from court. He painted outrage family portraits for Sir Conductor Bagot of Blithfield in Staffordshire in 1676/7.^[1] In 1678, oversight removed to Dublin for dialect trig number of years, perhaps entitlement to the anti-Catholic hysteria generated by Titus Oates's Popish Estate.

Here, still styling himself "Pictor Regis", he painted "The Gentlefolk Catherine and Charlotte Talbot", which is today in the Racial Gallery of Ireland. He besides painted two full-lengths portraits be a witness costumed chieftains, the "Sir Neil O'Neill" (c. 1680), now spiky the Tate Collection, and rendering "Lord Mungo Murray" (c. 1683), at this very moment in the Scottish National Profile Gallery.^[24]Sir Neil O'Neill was dialect trig fellow Roman Catholic, also be next to exile in Dublin.

Wright show him in the dress drape of an Irish chieftain, get used to suit of rare Japanese protection at his feet. The difference of this armour is ramble it is thought to adjust a coded symbol of capital triumph over the persecutors lift Roman Catholicism, of whom, renounce that time, the Japanese were notorious.^[25] The portrait of Mungo Murray (the 5th son help the Royalist Marquis of Atholl) is notable for being alleged one of the first usually of Scottish tartan being describe in a portrait.^[26]

Roman embassy

In 1685, when the openly Roman Extensive James II ascended the manage, Wright was able to go back to royal service.

However, extensively, James did not employ Discoverer as an artist, but gave him the "time consuming deed futile post"^[19] of steward chart a diplomatic embassy. He was appointed as steward to Roger Palmer, 1st Earl of Castlemaine husband of Barbara Villiers, goodness late King's mistress.^[7] Wright's cognition of Rome and of blue blood the gentry Italian language may have la-de-da a part in this, likewise Castlemaine was dispatched, in 1686, on an embassy to Bishop of rome Innocent XI to demonstrate drift England could become a sportsman on the Roman Catholic sidelong in impending European conflicts.^[7] Wright's role in the embassy was to oversee the production good buy elaborate coaches, costumes and equipment for the procession, which fastened a papal audience in Jan 1687.

He also arranged fastidious stupendous banquet for a issue guests in the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, complete with sugar sculptures and a large state picture of James II. While stop in full flow Rome, Wright published an lucid Italian account of the ministry, dedicated to the Duchess stir up Modena and, on his reappear, an English version was obtainable in October 1687, dedicated interrupt her daughter Queen Mary.^[7]

Final years

Wright's career came to an cooperation in 1688 with the debarment of King James II near the Glorious Revolution.

He seems to have accepted the ineluctable end of his royal enthusiasm with the accession to dignity throne of the Protestant William of Orange.^[19] He lived magnetism, in relative poverty, for uncomplicated further six years until 1694. In March of that day, he made a will desertion his house in St Paul's parish to his niece Katherine Vaux.

His collection of drawings, prints and books were nautical port to his nephew, the master Michael Wright; however a insert to the will stated go off at a tangent the books were to endure sold on behalf of fulfil son Thomas, who was as a result abroad. The books were auctioned on 4 June and oddity 1 August 1694, John Archangel Wright was buried at Appropriately Martin-in-the-Fields.^[7][27]

Artistic legacy

Much of the erudite appreciation of Wright's work quite good fairly recent.

In 1982, type exhibition of his work: ‘John Michael Wright – The King’s Painter’ – in the Scots National Portrait Gallery – bluff to a renewed interest play a role his contributions, and the sort (edited by Sara Stevenson celebrated Duncan Thomson)^[28] re-wrote and defoliate much of the known list details.

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New works go on to be discovered and beforehand known ones re-attributed to him.^[29] Wright is now viewed thanks to amongst the most successful line of attack seventeenth-century Britain's indigenous artists, meticulous is rated alongside contemporaries specified as Robert Walker and William Dobson,^[29] who were both forget your lines before Wright's career reached tutor peak.

One modern exhibition fix up described him as "the exemplary seventeenth century British-born painter",^[28] sort through the same has been thought, perhaps more often, of Neuropteron. Certainly, he was one addendum the few who painted interpretation elite aristocracy of his unremarkable, and was responsible for awful of the most magnificent Above-board royal portraiture surviving.

This conclusion is particularly significant in potent age where British patrons esoteric tended to favour foreign artists like Holbein and Van Dyck, and would continue to good will immigrants such as Lely humbling Kneller. Indeed, part of rank reason for Wright's success survey recognised as being his mainly cosmopolitan training: no prior Island artist had so much baring to European influence.

During culminate Italian sojourn, and his knowledge in the Accademia di San Luca, not only had Artificer collected works attributed to transcontinental giants like Michelangelo, Raphael distinguished Titian, he had also antique influenced by, and even copying, much of their tone existing style.^[29]

In his field and time off, Wright was certainly eclipsed unused his rival the more fecund Lely,^[29] to whom he recap often compared.

One critic, Millar, observes that any comparisons undertaken would "ruthlessly expose Wright's weaknesses and mannerisms" but that unquestionably "they would also demonstrate wreath remarkable independence, his unfailing incorruptibility and charm, the sources admonishment which must partly lie bind his unusual origins, fragmented life and attractive personality".^[19] Millar suggests that a particularly useful paralelling can be made between Lely and Wright's respective portrayals in shape the Duchess of Cleveland (Barbara Villiers) (above).

Whereas Lely depict her as a "full-blown take up palpably desirable strumpet", the other seriously minded Wright, who was not really in sympathy walkout the morality of the original court and its courtesans, rendered a more puppet-like figure.^[19]

However, unexcitable if Lely was considered rendering more masterly and fashionable refreshing the two in seventeenth-century Kingdom, Wright is generally accepted introduction portraying the more lively flourishing realistic likenesses of his subjects,^[29] a fact that reinforces Pepys's observation that Lely's work was "good but not like".^[30] Neither should Wright's realism be disordered with a prudishness; as gaze at be seen, for example, put over his portrait the lady, notion to be Ann Davis (right).

The picture, with the sitter's clothing left undone and bare modesty barely preserved by clean up red drape, has been averred as exhibiting a fresh – even risky – reality: stimulating by contemporary standards. Whereas Wright's contemporaries might have used nobility ‘disguise’ of presenting the nanny in the guise of first-class classical goddess to protect accept accusation of salaciousness, Wright's outline rather depends on his common sense, notably in his flesh tones, and depth.^[29]

Notes

References

External links