John Massey Wright

English, 1777–1866

John Massey Wright was a British watercourist. He was the son of an organ-builder and was apprenticed to the same business, but, as it proved distasteful to him, he was allowed to follow his natural inclination for art. As a boy he was given the opportunity of watching Thomas Stothard when at work in his studio, but otherwise he was self-taught. About 1810 Wright became associated with Henry Aston Barker, for whose panorama in the Strand he did much excellent work, including the battles of Coruña, Vittoria, and Waterloo.

He was also employed for a time as a scene-painter at the opera-house. But his reputation rests upon his small compositions illustrating Shakespeare and other poets, which were extremely numerous and executed with admirable taste and feeling in the manner of Stothard. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1812 to 1818, and in 1824 was elected an associate of the Watercolour Society; he became a full member in 1825, and thenceforward to the end of his long life was a regular exhibitor. His drawings were largely engraved for the ‘Literary Souvenir,’ ‘Amulet,’ ‘Forget-me-not,’ and similar publications; also for fine editions of the works of Sir Walter Scott and Burns, and for the ‘Gallery of Modern British Artists.’ Plates from his Battle of Vitoria’ and ‘The Ghost, a Christmas Frolic,’ appeared in 1814, and ‘Devotion,’ a subject from Boccaccio, was engraved by Charles Heath in 1833. Though extremely industrious, Wright was poorly remunerated for his work, and during his later years received a small pension from the Watercolour Society.

Wright was born on Tuesday 14 Oct. 1777 at Pentonville, London, where his father was an organ-builder. He died on Sunday 13 May 1866. He married a Miss Meadows and with her had a son and a daughter.

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Illustration to Shakespeare

Illustration to Shakespeare

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustration to Shakespeare

Illustration to Shakespeare

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustration to Shakespeare

Illustration to Shakespeare

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustration to Shakespeare’s Merry wives of Windsor – act 1, scene 1.

Illustration to Shakespeare’s Merry wives of Windsor – act 1, scene 1.

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustration to Shakespeare’s Merry wives of Windsor – act 1, scene 1

Illustration to Shakespeare’s Merry wives of Windsor – act 1, scene 1

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.001

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.001 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.002

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.002 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.003

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.003 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.004

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.004 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.005

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.005 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.006

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.006 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.007

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.007 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.008

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.008 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.009

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.009 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.010

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.010 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.012

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.012 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.013

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.013 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.014

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.014 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.015

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.015 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.016

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.016 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.017

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.017 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.018

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.018 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.019

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.019 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.020

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.020 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.021

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.021 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.022

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.022 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.023

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.023 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.024

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.024 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.025

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.025 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.026

Illustrations to Shakespeare Pl.026 (19th century)

John Massey Wright (English, 1777–1866)

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