Michael George Brennan, subject and landscape painter, was born and educated in Castlebar Co. Mayo where his talents were noted by Charles O'Donal, afterwards a police magistrate in Dublin. Aged fifteen he was sent to the Dublin Society's School and later the Royal Hibernian Academy where his skills where honed. He later travelled to London, working on several publications there, including Fun, a rival to Punch.

Ill health in the form of typhoid fever led Brennan back to Ireland and later prompted a further relocation to the warmer climes of Italy. Settling first in Rome, Brennan continued to send back paintings for exhibition in the Royal Academy between the years 1865-1878. Strickland describes how his works were "warmly praised as admirably painted, harmonious in colour, and full of character and feeling." Brennan's deteriorating condition provoked later trips to Capri and it was here that he came in contact with Miss Laura Catherine Redden, a celebrated deaf American poet, journalist and author. The pair were engaged within ten days of meeting and while they discussed their future wedding plans the engagement was ultimately broken off, the reasons for which are unknown. One rumoured explanation was that Redden was not willing to forego her flourishing career. Brennan died from a fall in 1871.