 Wright's Monument in Irongate, Derby |
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Wright was one of
the Lichfield
Circle of amateur scientists, a friend of Erasmus Darwin, and chose to
promote science through his paintings. « Experiment with a bird and an air pump (1768 National Gallery) |
| His subjects were
often of a scientific nature and illustrated many of the
discoveries and experiments of the time. Demonstration of the Orrery using
a lamp as the sun (1766)
(Derby Art Gallery and Museum) » |
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He was also well
known for the
extremely complex use of light in his works. In all three of the
paintings represented here he has chosen a subject in which light could
be central to the composition - whether it is the observation lamp of a
scientific experiment or the glow of an iron forge. « The Iron Forge (1772) (Tate Gallery, London) |