Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 – 1797) is undoubtedly one of the great English painters of the eighteenth century. He was tutored in London by Thomas Hudson, the master of Sir Joshua Reynolds. As with most artists of that period he was accomplished in portrait painting, to make his living, and landscape where he made his name. His style was unusual for English artists, employing tenebrism, the dramatic setting with dark contrasting shadows and pinpoints of light. Wright would quite often use the juxtaposition of moon light and lantern light in the same scene.

An experiment on a bird in the air pump of 1768 is a painting I have written about before and is one of the great works of Art in London’s National Gallery. It never fails to fascinate me, not just for the scene itself with Wright’s mastery of light, but the portraits of the players. From the scientist, playing God with life and death to the two girls with mixed emotions being comforted by the father. One horrified for the plight of the bird cannot look, the other spellbound by the same gothic like play in front of her. Then there are those at the side to whom this revelation (that living beings need air to live) is just simply uninteresting. 

The National Gallery’s exhibition Wright of Derby: From the Shadows brings together two of the artist’s greatest works: The Air Pump and A philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery which a lamp is put in the Place of the Sun from 1766, normally at The Derby Museum. The painting shows a similar representation of an Enlightenment model referring to the travel of the planets in the solar system. It too is dramatically lit and has a range of interested characters around the lecturer.

The exhibition is a joint venture which will visit Derby in the autumn of 2026 after leaving London. There are a number of paintings and mezzoprints focussing on Wright’s handing of light and shadow. As well as the two great masterpieces there are  many others and one I particularly liked for its construction. 

An Earthstopper on the Banks of the Derwent, 1773, is a landscape very much of its time. The earth-stopper blocked up the foxes den to assist the hunt. The painting has a vast middle ground of woods in shadow in dark cloud illuminated by a half obscured full moon. All the action is in a tiny area at the bottom right showing the man carrying out his wicked deed with just the light of a lantern. He is by the side of the river where a broken tree has collapsed into the water.  Every time I view this painting I cannot help but see the silhouette of a fox (part of the tree) watching the man disapprovingly!

Wright of Derby: From the Shadows is at The National Gallery from 7 November to 10 May 2026. It is a small exhibition in one room only and very well worth a visit.