# 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._

3 works in the collection.

- [Portrait of Colonel Charles Heathcote](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/portrait-of-colonel-charles-heathcote-cma-302209), Joseph Wright of Derby, c. 1771–72. Courtesy of Cleveland Museum of Art.
- [Virgil's Tomb by Moonlight, with Silius Italicus Declaiming](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/virgil-s-tomb-by-moonlight-with-silius-italicus-declaiming-met-441769), Joseph Wright of Derby, 1779. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- [Self-Portrait in a Fur Cap](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/self-portrait-in-a-fur-cap-aic-76295), Joseph Wright of Derby, 1765/68. Courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.