Staff member in museum discovers unexpected family connection to Masterpiece
Staff member in museum discovers unexpected family connection to National Gallery Masterpiece currently on display.
Images – available for download here.
A member of the South Shields Museum & Art Gallery team has uncovered a surprising family link with Catherine, Marquise de Seignelay, whose striking portrait, by French painter Pierre Mignard, is on loan to the museum, as part of the National Gallery Masterpiece Tour.
South Shields Museum & Art Gallery staff member Rory Brady said: “I recently discovered that I’m a distant cousin of Charles de Lorraine, Count of Marsan, the second husband of Catherine, Marquise de Seignelay. It’s quite remarkable that I’ve been invigilating the painting, without knowing until now that the Marquise was a distant relative!"
Mr Brady said he felt "intrigued " and "excited" upon finding out about his distant family connection to the artwork.
While researching his family history through Ancestry, he made the unexpected discovery of his distant family connection to one of the figures linked to the portrait, bringing a personal ties to the 17th century story behind the artwork.
The discovery offers a fascinating personal connection to Mignard: The Power of Posing, an exhibition exploring how portraiture communicates identity, status and personality. Through pose, clothing, expression and setting, artists can reveal stories about their sitters, with every carefully chosen detail offering clues to their lives and the image they wished to present. The portrait offers a glimpse into how families used art to express their status and aspirations, whilst reminding modern audiences that family connections and the stories passed between generations remain important today.
Pierre Mignard’s The Marquise de Seignelay (1691) is more than a portrait of a French aristocrat, it tells a story about family, legacy and the importance of relationships in 17th-century society. The Marquise, Catherine-Thérèse, is depicted as the sea goddess Thetis, alongside her son represented as Achilles, connecting her family to the heroic figures of Greek mythology. By portraying mother and son through the stories of Thetis and Achilles, Mignard celebrates the bond between parent and child while linking their family identity to ideas of heroism and greatness.
Visitors can view the exhibition, Mignard: The Power of Posing, at South Shields Museum & Art Gallery until Saturday 7 November 2026. Entry is free, although donations are encouraged. There is no need to pre-book.
