Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/785

* WRIGHT. 669 WRIGHT. WRIGHT, Joseph (1734-97). An English fi},niif and portrait painter. He was born at Derby, and, after stiidyinf; in London with Thomas Hudson, painted portraits in his native town till 1773. Ue is, however, most oelebrated for his ligure sul)jeets painted at this time, which are generally fire-light or candle-light scenes. In 1773-75 he visited Italy, and there- after painted chiefly conflagration scenes, perhaps owing to the strong impression made upon him liy an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, of which ho ]iainted no less than eighteen pictures. After liis return to England he continued his profession at Derby. His portraits are of a more homely and domestic character than those of Clainsliorough and Reynolds, but are well modeled and con- scientiously painted. Most of them are in pri- vate possession in and near Derby; the National Portrait Gallery possesses those of Sir Richard Arkwright, Erasmus Darwin, and the painter himself. He succeeded especially well with chil- dren ; witness the "Little Arkwrights with a tioat" and the "Little Newtons Picking Cherries." His most celebrated sulijects include the "Orrery" (1700); the "Airpump" (170S, National Gal- lery); "Edw^in" and "Maria" (1780); and a "Dead .Soldier" (1789). His landscapes are least effective by reason of the entire lack of at- mosphere. Consult his Life and Works, by Bemrose (London, 1885). WRIGHT, Joseph (1756-93). An American portrait painter. He was born at Bordentown, N. .L, the son of Patience Wright, a noted modeler of miniature heads in wax. In 1772 he went to London, where he studied designing, but devoted himself particularly to portrait painting. In 1782 he went to Paris, where he had the pa- tronage of Benjamin Franklin, and the follow- ing year he returned to the United States. He painted a three-quarter length portrait of Gen- eral Washington (1783), then a portrait of Gen- eral Washington and his wife, and also executed a miniature profile of Washington from life. Other ]>ortraits include those of .John .lay (17S0. Historical Society, New York) and Madi- son. In 1792 President Washington appointed him draughtsman and die-sinker of the newly established mint at Philadelphia, and he de- signed the earliest coins and medals issued by the Government. WRIGHT, .TosEPH (1855—). An English philologist. In 1891 he was appointed deputy ]irofessor, and in 1901 professor, of comjiarative philology in the University of Oxford. In 1899 he was granted a civil list pension of £200 a year to help him in completing The Eiir/Ush Difilect Dictionnri/. a highly valvuilile work, the publication of which I)egan in 1800. His other works include primers of Old Hir/h German (1888), Middle Hifih German (1888), and Gothic (2d ed. 1899) ; and a Grammar of the Dialect of Windhill in the West Ridinrj of York- shire (1892). He was also associated with R. S. Conway and W. H. G. Rouse in the translation (1888 et seq. ) of Brugiuann's Grtnidriss der vcrqleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Spyachrii. WRIGHT, LtTKE E. ("1847—). An American lawyer and administrator, born in Memphis, Tenn. He was privately educated and admitted to the bar at Memphis, where he rose rapidly to a high position in his profession. He took an active part in the relief work during the yellow fever epidemic of 1878, and from 1880 to 1883 was Attorney-(_;eneral of the State. In 1890 he supptjrtcd Palmer and liuckner, the Gold Demo- cratic candidates for the Presidency and Vice- Presidency. President -McKinley appointed him in 1900 a meml)cr of the Pliilippine Commission, and on the establishment of civil government in the islands in 1901 he became Vice-Governor, acting as Governor during Governor Taft's ab- sence in the United States and Europe in 1902. In December, 1903, he became Governor of the Pliilippiiies in succession to Taft, who early in 1904 succeeded Elihu Root as Secretary of War in President Roosevelt's Cabinet. WRIGHT, JIarcts .Joseph (1831—). An American soldier and author, born at Purdy, Tenn. He received an academic education, was admitted to the bar, and practiced at Memphis. At the beginning of the Civil War he was lieu- tenant-colonel of the 154th Regiment, Tennessee Militia, which was mustered into the Confede- rate service. From February, 1802, until its evacuation he was Military Governor of Colum- bus, Ky., and with his regiment was present at Belmont and Shiloh. After serving on the staff of Gen. B. F. Cheatham, he became brigadier- general December 13, 1862. and was engaged at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. In 1863-64 he was in charge of the district of Atlanta. After the evacuation of the city, he commanded at Macon, and then in northern Mississippi and western Tennessee. He published Life of Gen- eral Hcott (1894) and Life of Gov. William Blount (1884). WRIGHT, SiL.s (1795-1847). An American political leader, born at Amherst, Mass., May 24, 1795. He graduated at Middlebury College, Vt., in 1815, was admitted to the bar in 1819, and began the practice of his profession at Can- ton, N. Y. From 1823 to 1827 he was a member of the State Senate, acting with the 'Bucktail' faction in opposition to the policy of De Witt Clinton. He rendered conspicuous service in the State militia, of which he became brigadier-gen- eral in 1827. In 1827-29 he was a Democratic member of Congress, but voted for the tariff act of 1828. He was then Comptroller of the State of New York until 1833, when he was chosen to succeed William L. Marcy in the United States Senate. As a Senator he supported the Administration of President .Jackson, advocated the establishment of the sub-treasury system, and voted for the annexation of Texas. On the slavery question he maintained the right of petition and the sovereignty of Congress in the Territories, although he favored the exclusion from the mails of Abolition literature calculated to excite the prejudices of the Southern States. In 1844 he was elected Governor of New York, chiefly on account of the factional fight between the 'Hunkers' and 'Barnburners.' led by Marcy and Van Buren respectively, but was defeated for reelection. He opposed the calling of the con- stitutional convention of 1840. vetoed a bill for canal improvements, and took strong measures against the anti-rent disturbances. Upon the ex- piration of his term in 1847 he retired to his farm. He died at Canton. N. Y.. August 27, 1847. Consult the Lives by Gillet (Albany,