Joseph Wright of Derby Painting Reproductions 4 of 6
1734-1797
English Romanticism 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
$1690
$1690
Canvas Print
$58.78
$58.78
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
$1991
$1991
Canvas Print
$56.01
$56.01
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
$1272
$1272
Canvas Print
$50.19
$50.19
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
$1009
$1009
Canvas Print
$50.19
$50.19
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
$1923
$1923
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
$1799
$1799
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
$1899
$1899
Canvas Print
$60.58
$60.58
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
$1339
$1339
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
$1565
$1565
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
$1827
$1827
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
$1591
$1591
Canvas Print
$57.94
$57.94
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
$2044
$2044
Canvas Print
$57.40
$57.40
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
$2342
$2342
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
$2300
$2300
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
$2083
$2083
Canvas Print
$60.43
$60.43
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
$2252
$2252
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
$2018
$2018
Canvas Print
$59.61
$59.61
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
$1736
$1736
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
$1799
$1799
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
$2439
$2439
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
$3021
$3021
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
$2226
$2226
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
$2362
$2362
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
$1762
$1762
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