James Brindley
- Artist: Francis Parsons
- Date: 1770
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 51 1/4 in. x 39 1/4 in. (1302 mm x 997 mm)
- Portrays: James Brindley
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
Before you is a portrait of James Brindley, painted in oil on canvas by Francis Parsons in 1770. The gentleman stands with his surveying instrument, hands poised over it, while the background shows the Barton Aqueduct—the first navigable aqueduct in England—over the River Irwell. You’ll notice the warm linen jacket and the careful rendering of light across the bridge arches. Brindley was a self‑taught engineer who helped launch Britain’s canal age; Parsons captured that moment of calculation and construction.
See it in person
James Brindley is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
