
Joseph Wright of Derby Painting Reproductions Gallery 4 of 6
1734-1797
English Romantic Painter
Joseph Wright (September 3, 1734 - August 29, 1797), styled Wright of Derby, was an English landscape and portrait painter.
He was born in Derby, the son of an attorney, who was afterwards town-clerk. Deciding to become a painter, he went to London in 1751 and for two years studied under Thomas Hudson, the master of Joshua Reynolds. After painting portraits for a while at Derby, he again placed himself for fifteen months under his former master. He then settled in Derby, and varied his work in portraiture by the production of the subjects seen under artificial light with which his name is chiefly associated, and by landscape painting.
He married in 1773, and in the end of that year he visited Italy, where he remained till 1775. While at Naples he witnessed an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which formed the subject of many of his subsequent pictures. On his return from Italy he established himself at Bath as a portrait-painter; but meeting with little encouragement he returned to Derby, where he spent the rest of his life.
He was a frequent contributor to the exhibitions of the Society of Artists, and to those of the Royal Academy, of which he was elected an associate in 1781 and a full member in 1784. He, however, declined the latter honour on account of a slight which he believed that he had received, and severed his official connection with the Academy, though he continued to contribute to the exhibitions from 1783 till 1794.
Wright's portraits are frequently defective in drawing, and without quality or variety of handling, while their flesh tints are often hard. He is seen at his best in his subjects of artificial light, of which the Orrery (1766), the property of the Corporation of Derby (now Derby City Council), and An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768), in the National Gallery, are excellent examples. His Old Man and Death (1774) is also a striking and individual production. An exhibition of Wright's works was brought together at Derby in 1883, and twelve of his pictures were shown in the winter exhibition of the Royal Academy in 1886.
He was born in Derby, the son of an attorney, who was afterwards town-clerk. Deciding to become a painter, he went to London in 1751 and for two years studied under Thomas Hudson, the master of Joshua Reynolds. After painting portraits for a while at Derby, he again placed himself for fifteen months under his former master. He then settled in Derby, and varied his work in portraiture by the production of the subjects seen under artificial light with which his name is chiefly associated, and by landscape painting.
He married in 1773, and in the end of that year he visited Italy, where he remained till 1775. While at Naples he witnessed an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which formed the subject of many of his subsequent pictures. On his return from Italy he established himself at Bath as a portrait-painter; but meeting with little encouragement he returned to Derby, where he spent the rest of his life.
He was a frequent contributor to the exhibitions of the Society of Artists, and to those of the Royal Academy, of which he was elected an associate in 1781 and a full member in 1784. He, however, declined the latter honour on account of a slight which he believed that he had received, and severed his official connection with the Academy, though he continued to contribute to the exhibitions from 1783 till 1794.
Wright's portraits are frequently defective in drawing, and without quality or variety of handling, while their flesh tints are often hard. He is seen at his best in his subjects of artificial light, of which the Orrery (1766), the property of the Corporation of Derby (now Derby City Council), and An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768), in the National Gallery, are excellent examples. His Old Man and Death (1774) is also a striking and individual production. An exhibition of Wright's works was brought together at Derby in 1883, and twelve of his pictures were shown in the winter exhibition of the Royal Academy in 1886.
125 Wright of Derby Paintings

Cottage on Fire c.1787
Oil Painting
$1536
$1536
Canvas Print
$58.73
$58.73
SKU: WOD-4352
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 58 x 76.2 cm
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, USA
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 58 x 76.2 cm
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minnesota, USA

Matlock Tor by Daylight c.1778/80
Oil Painting
$1809
$1809
Canvas Print
$55.96
$55.96
SKU: WOD-4353
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 73 x 100 cm
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 73 x 100 cm
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Lake Albano c.1790/92
Oil Painting
$1156
$1156
Canvas Print
$50.14
$50.14
SKU: WOD-4354
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 36.2 x 54.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 36.2 x 54.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA

Lake Nemi c.1790/92
Oil Painting
$917
$917
Canvas Print
$50.14
$50.14
SKU: WOD-4355
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 36.2 x 54.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 36.2 x 54.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA

Lake Nemi at Sunset c.1790
Oil Painting
$1747
$1747
SKU: WOD-4356
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Landscape with Dale Abbey and Church Rocks c.1785
Oil Painting
$1635
$1635
SKU: WOD-4357
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Galleries and Museums, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Galleries and Museums, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Italian Landscape 1790
Oil Painting
$1725
$1725
Canvas Print
$60.52
$60.52
SKU: WOD-4358
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 103.5 x 130.4 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 103.5 x 130.4 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA

View in Dovedale 1786
Oil Painting
$1216
$1216
SKU: WOD-4359
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

The Convent of San Cosimato and part of the ... c.1788/98
Oil Painting
$1421
$1421
SKU: WOD-4360
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 45.7 x 63.5 cm
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 45.7 x 63.5 cm
Private Collection

Landscape with Figures and a Tilted Cart, Matlock ... c.1790
Oil Painting
$1658
$1658
SKU: WOD-4361
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
City Art Gallery, Southampton, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
City Art Gallery, Southampton, United Kingdom

View in Matlock Dale looking South to Black Rock ... c.1780/85
Oil Painting
$1445
$1445
Canvas Print
$57.89
$57.89
SKU: WOD-4362
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 58.4 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 58.4 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA

Landscape with a Rainbow 1794
Oil Painting
$1856
$1856
Canvas Print
$57.34
$57.34
SKU: WOD-4363
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom

Portrait of Sir Richard Arkwright c.1789/90
Oil Painting
$2127
$2127
SKU: WOD-4364
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Samuel Oldknow c.1790/92
Oil Painting
$2089
$2089
SKU: WOD-4365
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
City Art Gallery, Leeds, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
City Art Gallery, Leeds, United Kingdom

Portrait of Francis Hurt c.1780
Oil Painting
$1892
$1892
Canvas Print
$60.38
$60.38
SKU: WOD-4366
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Mrs Francis Hurt c.1780
Oil Painting
$2046
$2046
SKU: WOD-4367
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Jedediah Strutt c.1790
Oil Painting
$1832
$1832
Canvas Print
$59.55
$59.55
SKU: WOD-4368
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 125 x 99 cm
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: 125 x 99 cm
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom

Portrait of Samuel Crompton c.1780
Oil Painting
$1577
$1577
SKU: WOD-4369
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Mrs Samuel Crompton c.1780
Oil Painting
$1635
$1635
SKU: WOD-4370
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Charles Hurt of Wirksworth c.1789/90
Oil Painting
$2215
$2215
SKU: WOD-4371
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Susannah Hurt with her daughter Mary Anne c.1789/90
Oil Painting
$2744
$2744
SKU: WOD-4372
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Richard Cheslyn c.1777
Oil Painting
$2022
$2022
SKU: WOD-4373
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Portrait of Christopher Heath c.1781
Oil Painting
$2146
$2146
SKU: WOD-4374
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection

Rydal Waterfall 1795
Oil Painting
$1601
$1601
SKU: WOD-4375
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom
Joseph Wright of Derby
Original Size: unknown
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom