Richard Wright (painter)

Richard Wright
The Battle of Quiberon Bay, 21 November 1759: the Day After
Born	c. 1723 Liverpool
Died	c. 1775
Awards	Society of Arts 1764,1766,1768 Best Marine Picture

Richard Wright (1723?–1775?) was an English marine painter. An entirely self-taught artist, he first appeared as an exhibitor in London in 1760, and between that date and 1773 exhibited twenty-five works with the Incorporated Society of Artists and one with the Free Society.

One of Wright's earliest known works is a picture of the St Nicholas Church, Liverpool, known as 'The Sailor's Church', and where Wright himself was probably baptised. The scene depicts the church and surrounding buildings viewed across the River Mersey from "Man's Island". It was one of several works originally executed by Wright for his shoemaker.

Wright first came to public attention 1762 after when he regularly exhibited at the Society of Artists until 1773. Exhibited works included A Storm with a Shipwreck, Sunset, a Fresh Breeze, A Fresh Gale, River with Boats, &c., Moonlight. The latter is thought to be A moonlit river landscape with a windmill, boats and figures, exhibited between 1770 and 1773 and sold at Christie's, London, in 2012 for £6000. In 1764 a fifty guinea premium was offered by the Society of Arts for the best marine picture; this he won, as was the case with similar prizes given by the society in 1766 and 1768.

Wright's career encompassed the latter years of the Seven Years' War and several of his works depict naval battles and the vessels involved. His painting of the Battle of Quiberon Bay, fought on 20 November 1759 and painted in 1760, depicts the wrecked 74-gun Resolution in the right foreground with the 64-gun Essex ahead of her and the French Soleil-Royal and Héros in flames in the right distance. To the left are the captured French 80-gun Formidable, with a two-deck English vessel.

Wright painted a scene from the action off the Isle of Man that took place on the 28 February 1760 in which Aeolus under John Elliot, with Brilliant and Pallas, attacked a French squadron under François Thurot aboard the flagship Marischal de Belle Isle that resulted in Thurot's death and the surrender of all three French frigates. Wright also painted an accompanying picture of the ships in Ramsey Bay after the action. Measuring 50.5 in (128 cm) by 36.5 in (93 cm), the paintings were engraved by Millar and Goldar and dedicated to Captain Elliot and the Merchants of the Port of Liverpool respectively. Wright is noted as having been on board the Belle Isle sketching in the aftermath of the battle.