View of ‘Self-Portrait at the age of about forty’ by Joseph Wright of Derby in the Joseph Wright Gallery at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Image (c) Oliver Taylor-Derby Museums (1)

SOLD OUT: A Celebration of Wright – The Invention of British Art with Dr Bendor Grosvenor

Museum & Art Gallery15 October 2024

Britain has produced some of the world’s most famous artists, not least Joseph Wright of Derby. But what made British art ‘great’? 

Was it the individual genius of artists like Wright, Turner, Hogarth and Constable? Or were their careers shaped by a distinctly ‘British’ society, culture and history? And if so, why has that distinctiveness been overlooked, and why have we ignored so many of the characters who helped create the story of British art?

In this talk, the art historian Dr Bendor Grosvenor (best known from the BBC series ‘Britain’s Lost Masterpieces’ and ‘Fake or Fortune?’) will talk about his new book The Invention of British Art. Front and centre in his radical retelling of British art history is the role played by Joseph Wright of Derby. Join us to celebrate the story of British art and Derby’s very own artistic genius.

Booking essential. Limited places. Books are available to purchase at point of booking.

Accessibility at Derby Museums

You may also be interested in