Joseph Wright of Derby: Life on Paper

An exhibition exploring the life and work of one of Britain’s best loved artists.

In 2022, Derby Museums made its most significant acquisition in twenty years, with a remarkable self-portrait of Joseph Wright of Derby. Completed around 1772, this was the first and only occasion that Wright depicted himself as an artist. Curiously, it was with the specific trappings of a draughtsman – rather than a painter – that he pictured himself.

Inspired by the self-portrait, this exhibition explores the role of drawing within the story of Wright’s life through 50 works on paper from Derby Museums’ collection. Rarely before seen outside Derby, they include early works made in training to remarkable ‘one-off’ productions, such as his self-portrait in pastel.

Studies of the works of the Old Masters, and classical statuary provide a glimpse of his interests and influences. Elsewhere, illustrated letters reveal a collaborative side to his practice, as he sought advice from friends concerning subjects as diverse as chemical experiments and scenes from Shakespeare.

Wright’s works on paper constituted a valuable expression of his personal, as well as professional, experience as an artist. The result is an exhibition that reveals this much-loved artist at his most experimental and exuberant, as well as his most vulnerable and human.

Suitable for all