# Virgil's Tomb by Moonlight, with Silius Italicus Declaiming

**Joseph Wright of Derby** (English, 1734–1797)  
1779  
Oil on canvas  
40 x 50 in. (101.6 x 127 cm)

Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013.155. [The museum's record](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/441769).

## About this work

By moonlight, the Roman poet Silius Italicus declaims verses at the overgrown tomb of Virgil near Naples, which he is said to have bought and tended in honour of the poet he revered. Joseph Wright of Derby visited the site during his stay in Italy in 1773–75 and painted the subject several times after his return, fascinated by the contrast between moonlight and shadow. The ruined vaulting and creeping vegetation make the tomb a meditation on poetic fame outlasting the decay of stone.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

Joseph Wright of Derby painted this in 1779, aged 45. It is now at The Met in New York.

### How it was made

- **Oil paint.** Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.

### [Joseph Wright of Derby](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/joseph-wright-of-derby)

English, 1734–1797; born in Derby; died in Derby

Wright spent most of his career in his native Derby, painting portraits of Midlands gentry and industrialists. He is best known for candlelit scenes of science and industry, such as An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump and A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery, which reflect the curiosity of friends in the circle of the Lunar Society. After two years in Italy he added erupting volcanoes, moonlit landscapes and fireworks to his repertoire.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

## Facts

- Type: Paintings
- The artist was 45
- Real size: about 40 × 50 in (102 × 127 cm). The original is larger than our largest print, 24 × 36 in, so every print is a reduction.
- Century: 18th century
- Subjects: Tombs, Men, Moon
- Colour: brown
- Rights: public domain (CC0 1.0); free to use for any purpose.

## Get it

- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/1202.jpg?dl=1
- Image: https://img.ochreeditions.com/a/1202/1920.jpg
- Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 8 × 10 in $28; 11 × 14 in $38; 12 × 16 in $42; 16 × 20 in $56; 18 × 24 in $68; 20 × 30 in $86; 24 × 36 in $108
- Framed reproduction: 8 × 10 in $78; 11 × 14 in $98; 12 × 16 in $108; 16 × 20 in $138; 18 × 24 in $164; 20 × 30 in $208; 24 × 36 in $258
- Canvas reproduction: 8 × 10 in $58; 11 × 14 in $72; 12 × 16 in $79; 16 × 20 in $98; 18 × 24 in $118; 20 × 30 in $148
- Print-ready file: 8 × 10 in $2; 11 × 14 in $2; 12 × 16 in $3; 16 × 20 in $3; 18 × 24 in $3; 20 × 30 in $5; 24 × 36 in $5

Sizes stop where the museum's file would print below 150 pixels per inch. Everything sold is a reproduction, made to order. [Order a print](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/virgil-s-tomb-by-moonlight-with-silius-italicus-declaiming-met-441769).