From the Shadows: Rare reunion of Wright of Derby masterpieces opens in London

"Joseph Wright of Derby was a well-regarded portrait painter, but for a few years between 1765 and 1773 he created a series of Enlightenment-themed paintings. And this exhibition marks the first time in 35 years that many of his works have been brought together in the same room. Joseph Wright was working right on the cusp of the enlightenment theory that knowledge of the arts, sciences and culture should be for everyone, and not locked away in grand houses and universities. And s an artist, he found himself working at a time of two major changes - the beginnings of summer art exhibitions open to the (paying) public for the first time, and the rise of printed reproductions of paintings."

"With the aim of opening knowledge to the masses, many of Wright's paintings are philosophical and scientific in nature, yet executed in a style that is also incredibly atmospheric. It's worth remembering that while exaggerated to a degree, the lighting was reasonably authentic for a time when people's homes were lit with rush lights or candles, and the varying availability of moonlight affected working hours. AT the heart of these atmospheric paintings is an atmospheric experiment - a demonstration of what happens to a bird when it is deprived of air. This gruesome demonstration of the importance of dephlogisticated air (oxygen) to life was actually a common "parlour trick" to show modern science to admiring audiences."

The National Gallery opens an exhibition of Joseph Wright of Derby centered on The Air Pump. The show assembles many of Wright's works from other collections for the first time in 35 years. Wright produced a series of Enlightenment-themed paintings between 1765 and 1773 while also working as a portrait painter. Wright worked during a shift toward making arts, sciences and culture accessible beyond elite houses and universities. His career coincided with summer art exhibitions opening to paying publics and the growth of printed reproductions. The paintings combine philosophical and scientific subjects with dramatic, authentic lighting. The Air Pump depicts an atmospheric experiment demonstrating a bird deprived of air.

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