Portrait of a man, called Samuel Ward; three-quarter length, turned slightly to the right, and set within a feigned oval. He wears a brown coat and a white neckcloth. His hair is powdered and tied back. Painted by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Oil on canvas in gilded frame. Unglazed.

Exhibitions:

  • Title: Pictures by Joseph Wright of Derby
    Venue: Graves Art Gallery
    Dates: from 17/07/1950 to 27/07/1950
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby
    Venue: Norwich Castle Museum
    Dates: from 03/01/1959 to 01/02/1959
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: An Exhibition to Commemorate the Centenary of Derby Museums and Art Gallery
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from 21/04/1979 to 21/07/1979
  • Title: Extraordinary Portraits of Ordinary People: Paintings by Emma Tooth and Joseph Wright
    Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
    Dates: from 03/07/2010 to 12/09/2010

Publications

  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
    Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
    Published Place: Derby
    Published Year: 1997
  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light
    Sub-Title: Volume 1
    Volume: 1
    Published Place: London
    Copyright: Benedict Nicolson, 1968
    Published Year: 1968
  • Title: Hogarth's Britons
    Published Place: London
    Published Year: 2023

Related People

  • Samuel Ward (Content)

    Display Date: 1732 - 1820

  • Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)

    Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797

    Nationality: British

    Biography: Artist.

  • Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Association)

    Display Date: British, 1720 - 1788

    Nationality: British

    Biography: Known as the "Young Pretender" and "Bonnie Prince Charlie", Stuart claimant to the British throne, son of James Francis Edward Stuart, the Old Pretender. Led the Jacobite Rebellion, landing in Scotland in July 1745 and, having raised an army of more than 5000 armed men, reaching as far south as Derby on 4 December before retreating northwards; his forces defeated at Culloden (16 April 1746) by the army of William, Duke of Cumberland.

Samuel Ward

Date: 1782

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Object Type:Painting
Dimensions:Frame: 940 × 820 × 50 mm (37 × 32 5/16 × 1 15/16 in.) Support: 762 × 635 mm (30 × 25 in.)
Description:At the age he was in this painting he was a successful property owner.; In 1745 when Prince Charles Edward Stuart stayed at Derby before the battle of Culloden, he went to the house of Mrs Samuel Ward for his meals with his officers. Her son then aged 14, used to taste all that was prepared, for fear of treachery. On leaving Derby the Prince gave Mrs Ward the accompanying diamond ring. Her son above mentioned is the subject of the portrait by Wright of Derby also in the Museum. He was the great-grandfather of my husband, Samuel Ward of Ingleton, Weymouth. S.E. Ward. (Letter from donor, refers to ring 1948-88); portrait of Samuel Ward; Very little is known of Samuel Ward. A nineteenth century label on the reverse of the frame gives his dates as 1732-1820 and that he was 'of Derby and later of Richmond'. Wright's account book shows that he charged ~12-12-0 (~12.70p) for this portrait.
Provenance:Mrs Samuel Ward, wife of a descendant of the sitter; by whom bequeathed to Derby Museums in 1947.
Viewing Status:Contact Us
Item Ref:1947-66
Browse Collection
Browse Collection