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.
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.
As part of this exhibition, Derby Museums is pleased to present a new installation titled Astronauts of Light by Derby-based artist E.J Lance, who is Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity’s Air Arts team resident artist and heritage officer. The work invites visitors to consider why we draw and the life-changing uses it might be put to. Astronauts of Light is the outcome of a ground breaking visual literacy project called Seeing the Skin, led by the Air Arts team, which is part of Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity with support from Derby Museums, the British Association of Dermatologists, The Dowling Club, the Royal College of Physicians’ Museum London, and the Willan Library.
Joseph Wight Life on Paper is available for touring. Please contact Janine@derbymuseums.org for more information.
This exhibition is part of The Year of Wright – a year-long celebration of the life, art, and enduring relevance of Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), one of Britain’s most original and visionary painters.
Suitable for all.
Cover image: Vesuvius in Eruption, Joseph Wright, gouache on paper c.1774 © Derby Museums
