Michael Bryan and his Family by James Ward RA, “The National Gallery Masterpiece Tour, Mignard: The Power of Posing” at South Shields Museum and Art Gallery

James Ward was a London painter and engraver. He produced portraits, landscapes, history and genre paintings, but he was best known for his animal pictures, particularly of horses and dogs. He often painted very large compositions.

Michael Bryan (1757-1821) was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1781 he moved to London, then lived in Flanders for eight years, before returning to London. He became an art dealer and collector, as well as an art historian who wrote the Biographical and Critical Dictionary of Painters and Engravers, a standard reference book of the nineteenth century.

The generalisation of features and the bright colouring in the portrait were a feature of portraiture in the later eighteenth century. The informal style of clothing of Mrs Bryan and her children is also typical of the period.

Provenance: purchased from Wellesley College, Massachusetts with the assistance of M. D. Leather and other members of the Bryan family and the National Art Collections Fund, 1958

Object description
Type: Easel Painting
Location: South Shields Museum, Tyne & Wear
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: James Ward RA (1769-1859)
Date: 1798–1799

Image Details
Date: 31 August 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 200
Licensing: Image of a North East Museums asset. This image cannot be licensed.