Reinagle was a pupil of the court painter Allan Ramsey, whom he assisted with his portraits of George III and Queen Charlotte. Later, however, he began to specialise in animal painting, and achieved notable popularity in this field.His landscape painting, show the influence of 17th century Dutch painters, whose work he studied.Reinagle’s Wakefield Bridge and Chantry Chapel is one of the most significant topographical views of the city, and is certainly the largest in scale.The work was commissioned by James Milnes, a successful merchant, of Thornes House. It is likely that Reinagle travelled north from London to sketch on site, producing the canvas on return to his London studio.Although on the whole topographically correct, it is still a rather romanticised view of the subject. It certainly does not attempt to reveal the increasingly ruinous state of the chapel as it was in 1793. This was done to provide a pleasing view of the scene for the benefit of the artist’s patron.
