John Michael Wright (1617-1694), Painter
Artist associated with 25 portraits
Born and buried in London, Wright was apprenticed in Edinburgh in 1636 to the portrait painter, George Jamesone. After a lengthy stay in Rome in the 1640s during which he became a Roman Catholic, he worked for Archduke Leopold Wilhelm, Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, before settling in London in 1656. Wright worked on occasion for for the court and was appointed Picture Drawer in Ordinary to the King in 1673, but his clients increasingly came from the margins of the court and particularly from the catholic nobility and gentry. He also produced a set of full-length portraits of the 'fire judges' who had adjudicated on property disputes following the Fire of London in 1666. His portraits are characterised by a certain elegant restrained realism in contrast to the suave glamour of Peter Lely.
Elizabeth Claypole (née Cromwell)
by John Michael Wright
oil on panel, 1658
NPG 952
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, circa 1660-1665
NPG 531
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, circa 1668
On display in Room 7 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 6854
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, circa 1669-1670
On display in Room 6 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 225
after John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, (circa 1669-1670)
NPG 106
after John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, feigned oval, (circa 1670)
On display at Royal Courts of Justice, London
NPG 465
Barbara Palmer (née Villiers), Duchess of Cleveland
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, circa 1670
NPG 5497
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, 1673
On display in Room 8 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 6047
The Family of Sir Robert Vyner
by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, 1673
On display in Room 7 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 5568
Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey
after John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, (1676)
NPG 3805
possibly after John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, (1678)
On display at Royal Courts of Justice, London
NPG 1850
attributed to John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, circa 1680
NPG 3771
after John Michael Wright
photograph, (circa 1668-1670)
NPG D37127
after John Michael Wright
watercolour, (circa 1668-1670)
NPG D20027
after John Michael Wright
mezzotint, (circa 1670)
NPG D35113
by Robert White, after John Michael Wright
line engraving, published 1676
NPG D29867
after John Michael Wright, published by John Bowles
mezzotint, early 18th century
NPG D29866
by George Vertue, after John Michael Wright
line engraving, published 1736
NPG D29865
by Thomas Trotter, after John Michael Wright
line engraving, published 1783
NPG D29875
by Silvester Harding, after John Michael Wright
stipple engraving, published 1792
NPG D29887
All paintings by this artist on the BBC Your Paintings website
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