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Student Artwork Guide

Macready as Werner

Daniel Maclise, 1850

Name Class Date
Daniel Maclise, Macready as Werner (1850). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Daniel Maclise artsdot.com/en/artists/daniel-maclise/
Artist’s dates
1806 – 1870
Painted
1850
Movement
Romanticism Art that puts feeling, wildness and the power of nature above calm order and rules.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Daniel Maclise died in 1870; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1940.

Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Sept. 26, 2026

Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise

When was this painted?

  1. 1800
  2. 1810
  3. 1820
  4. 1830
  5. 1840
  6. 1850
  7. 1860
  8. 1870

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 64 at death.

Painted when the artist was 44. The artist lived to 64. 5 of the 10 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Daniel Maclise (1806–1870) ▲ this work, 1850 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1836 Main working years: 1836–1859 Late works: from 1859

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Espresso #4e2c0f

    Catalogued palette

    • #4E2C0F
    • #1D170C
    • #DFA25B
    • #8E4D13

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Espresso
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Daniel Maclise over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 85.2%
    2. 2 Singapore 5.6%
    3. 3 United Kingdom 3.7%
    4. 4 Hong Kong 3.7%
    5. 5 United States of America 1.9%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Daniel Maclise

    1. 1 The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife 6.3%
    2. 2 Madeline after prayer 4.8%
    3. 3 Charles lamb 4.8%
    4. 4 Washington Irving 4.8%
    5. 5 A Scene from 'Undine' (detail), 1843 3.2%
    6. 6 Snap-Apple Night 3.2%
    7. 7 The Origin of the Harp 3.2%
    8. 8 King Lear and Cordelia 3.2%
    9. 9 And in the First Career they Ran 3.2%
    10. 10 Winthrop Mackworth Praed 3.2%
    11. 11 The Opera Box, Design for a Wood Engraving. Tracing, from the Principal Figure in Reverse 1.6%
    12. 12 Cottage Group 1.6%
    13. 13 May 1.6%
    14. 14 Merry Christmas in the Baron's Hall 1.6%
    15. 15 Scene from Ben Jonson's Every Man in His Humour (Act II, Scene I) 1.6%
    16. 16 Charles Dickens 1.6%
    17. 17 The reign of King Richard the Third 1.6%
    18. 18 The Death of Nelson (detail) 1.6%
    19. 19 Francis I And Diane Of Poitiers 1.6%
    20. — Macready as Werner, 1850 this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 54.3% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 221 works by this artist, of which 48 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Sept. 26, 2026

    Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Daniel Maclise

    Born in Cork, Ireland

    Early Life and Education

    Born: January 25, 1806, Cork, Ireland

    Died: April 25, 1870, London, England

    Parents: Alexander McLish (tanner/shoemaker) and Rebecca McLeish

    Early education in Cork; showed artistic talent from a young age.

    Studied at the Cork School of Art, focusing on drawing and anatomy.

    Self-funded move to London in 1827 to pursue art studies.

    Entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1828, excelling in life drawing and history painting.

    Career and Major Works

    Rapidly gained recognition for his portrait skills, notably depicting Charles Kean and Niccolò Paganini.

    Contributed significantly to Fraser's Magazine under the pseudonym "Alfred Croquis," creating a series of character portraits that enhanced his reputation.

    Became an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1835 and a full member in 1840.

    Notable Works:

    The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher after the Battle of Waterloo (located at Westminster Palace)

    The Death of Nelson (located at Westminster Palace) – A monumental fresco considered one of his masterpieces.

    The Chivalric Vow of the Ladies and the Peacock

    Illustrations for Charles Dickens' Christmas books and other works.

    Artistic Style and Influences

    Maclise’s style blended historical narrative with elements of realism and portraiture.

    Influenced by French and classical art, particularly after his visit to Paris in 1830.

    His work often depicted scenes from history, literature (Shakespeare), and mythology.

    Demonstrated a keen eye for detail and characterization in both portraits and historical compositions.

    Later Life and Legacy

    Intense dedication to his art took a toll on his health.

    Declined the presidency of the Royal Academy in 1865 due to declining health.

    Died in Chelsea, London, in 1870.

    A memoir was published by William Justin O'Driscoll in 1871.

    Maclise’s murals at Westminster Palace remain significant contributions to British art and architecture.

    His illustrations for Dickens helped popularize the author's works.

    Considered a key figure in Victorian-era history painting, bridging the gap between Neoclassicism and Realism.

    Historical Significance

    Maclise played a crucial role in documenting significant historical events and figures for a wider audience.

    His work reflects the cultural and artistic trends of the 19th century, particularly the Victorian era's fascination with history and literature.

    He helped establish the tradition of large-scale narrative painting within British art.

    His contributions to Westminster Palace’s decoration are integral to the building's aesthetic and symbolic importance.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Macready as Werner

    artsdot.com/en/art/download/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Maclise, Daniel. Macready as Werner. 1850, https://artsdot.com/en/art/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/
    APA
    Maclise, Daniel (1850). Macready as Werner [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/
    Chicago
    Daniel Maclise. Macready as Werner. 1850. https://artsdot.com/en/art/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/
    Harvard
    Maclise, Daniel (1850) Macready as Werner. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/daniel-maclise-macready-as-werner-AQZCU9-en/

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Sept. 26, 2026

    Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: portraiture, power dynamics, victorian era. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Romanticism: Art that puts feeling, wildness and the power of nature above calm order and rules. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: ArtsDot.com — accessed Sept. 26, 2026

    Macready as Werner — Daniel Maclise Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    What style does "Macready as Werner" belong to?

    The movement associated with "Macready as Werner" by Daniel Maclise is Romanticism. This classification situates the work among related artists and artworks.

    Does "Macready as Werner" show strong light-dark contrasts?

    The contrast level of "Macready as Werner" by Daniel Maclise is gentle.

    In which movement and which era is "Macready as Werner" by Daniel Maclise placed?

    "Macready as Werner" belongs to the Romanticism movement, and its creator worked in the 19th-Century era.