Review: Joseph Wright of Derby ‘From the Shadows’ Exhibition

Joseph Wright of Derby: From the Shadows

Review by Lily Wilson

Organised by the National Gallery and Derby Museums, this exhibition is part of The Year of Wright. It is a celebration of the life, art, and enduring relevance of Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797), one of Britain’s most visionary painters.

From the Shadows is the first major exhibition dedicated to the artist’s ‘candlelight’ paintings, created from 1765 to 1773. As a young artist seeking recognition in the London art world, Wright needed a striking style to set his work apart from that of his peers. He adopted the style of tenebrism (from the Italian word tenebroso, meaning ‘darkened or obscured’), where painters combined realistic detail with dramatic light and shadow. Tenebrism used an extreme form of chiaroscuro (meaning light and dark’) along with a new, more realistic way of depicting subjects. A signature of his work was to paint modern subjects, giving them a grandeur and drama usually reserved for historical and mythological paintings to more everyday scenes.

Wright also focused on depicting the intellectual climate of the period—later termed ‘The Enlightenment’— which promoted both the pursuit and spread of knowledge. New opportunities for learning and discussion sprang up, with lectures and exhibitions made increasingly more accessible in Britain.

Elements of the Enlightenment feature heavily in Wright’s paintings, particularly A Philosopher by Lamplight (1769) and The Alchymist (1795). Both explore academic thought and the concept of life and death, either through the mechanics of the body, the fleeting nature of life itself and immortality during a period where science, Reason, and discovery exploded culturally.

The exhibition explores the historic context of scientific and artistic development in which his pieces were made through Wright’s artistic practice. Derby Museum showcases the many paintings Wright created in this period, along with a range of mezzotints, works of paper, and even some of the objects that feature in his paintings.

The Air Pump and Vacuum Fountain (Nairne & Blunt of London, 1774-1793) is one of these objects. It was invented to study vacuums and were also available to be bought for at-home experiments, such as the one Wright depicts in his painting ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump (1768). The reactions to this invention vary across the faces of his subjects and seeing The Air Pump machine as they would have viewed it further brought the painting to life.

The displayed orrery was also a beautiful addition to the collection on display. A modern replica of the one in Wright’s A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery (1766) shows the planets beyond the earth and demonstrates their movement around the sun. I was saddened to hear that the mechanism of the machine is no longer functional, it has rusted over and Derby Museum does not currently have the funds to fix it. However, I could easily imagine how beautiful it would have been when in use during its prime. Original spectators in the 1700s would have been mesmerised by the event of watching the semi-completed solar system come to life; Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto had yet to be discovered and do not feature on the model.

His skill of creating symbolic, dynamic and dramatic compositions can be seen in A Blacksmith’s Shop (1771) and An Earthstopper on the Banks of the Derwent (1773) while he also expresses a talent for comedic pieces. Two Boys Fighting Over a Bladder (1767) made me chuckle to see. I don’t usually laugh at paintings but it expressed the hilarious scene so well that I truly felt like a spectator, observing the fight that has devolved into much yelling, dramatic hair pulling, and ear twisting.

Wright’s process was fascinating to explore. As an artist myself, I couldn’t help the feeling of wishing I could go back in time to watch him at work and learn exactly how he painted these masterpieces. Unfortunately, until time travel is invented, that is sadly not a possibility for me (I will not stop hoping!). Although, Derby Museum has set up an incredible alternative with Joseph Wright’s ‘Lightbox’.

In a memoir compiled after his death, Wright’s niece Hannah described an apparatus he made himself to observe his subjects in near total darkness while also being able to paint easily in the light. Derby Museum recreated the principle of Wright’s system and visitors can interact with the life-size set-up; exploring exactly how he painted such dark scenes with incredible precision.

Another element of the exhibition that I loved was spotting the figures that pop up in Wright’s paintings again and again, one of these being Erasmus Darwin. The name may ring a bell, as he is Charles Darwin’s grandfather and good friend of Joseph Wright. He features in both An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump and Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight (1765), which also cannot be missed.

A particular novelty of this exhibit is that it doesn’t just blend works from the National Gallery and other museums, but also private collections. An Academy by Lamplight (1769), which has travelled all the way from the Yale Collection of British Art, Connecticut, was my favourite piece of the exhibit bar none. The light that shines on the Nymph with a Shell statue creates such a luminescence that transforms the texture of the stone until it more closely resembles flesh than cool marble. Despite being over 250 years old the painting feels strikingly modern. The sun beam that falls onto the statue is so bright it could be a spotlight, the boys in front of her are so full of life they could have been painted yesterday.

What I especially appreciated with this exhibit was its intimacy. At its home in the National Gallery, ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump’ hangs impressively high up on one of the vast walls of the Main Collection. Derby Museum, on the other hand, offers a rare experience: all the pieces are hung at head height and the exquisite detail of Wright’s work can be observed from just a foot away. It is also the first time the paintings An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump and The Orrery are together in Derby in over 70 years. It is incredibly rare to see all these pieces together at once and the opportunity cannot be missed.

The exhibition started in June and continues until 1st November 2026 at Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Wright’s work blends science, history, and humanity to create an awe-inspiring experience. You do not want to miss this event, which is free for all to attend, although Derby Museum does take donations if you feel so inclined. And to clarify, this is NOT a sponsor message—though I am aware I sound slightly like an advert. That being said, I highly recommend visiting. I went to see it for my 22nd last week, and as far as birthdays go, I think it was the best one yet!