Artwork
Self Portrait at the Age of about Forty; Verso: Study for 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump'
Self Portrait at the Age of about Forty; Verso: Study for 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump' is an oil painting by Joseph Wright of Derby. It is held in the collection of the Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1772, this oil painting is a self‑portrait by the English artist Joseph Wright of Derby. The work shows Wright at roughly forty years of age, depicted as a painter holding a drawing instrument and resting his arm on a portfolio. The canvas was repurposed, bearing on its reverse a preparatory sketch for his later composition, An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump.
Subject & Meaning
In the portrait Wright presents himself in the act of creation, emphasizing his professional identity rather than personal vanity. The inclusion of the porte‑crayon and portfolio underscores his status as a working artist, while the informal pose suggests a candid glimpse into his studio routine during a period when his reputation for dramatic lighting was already established.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting employs Wright’s characteristic chiaroscuro, using strong contrasts between illuminated areas and deep shadows to model form. The limited palette and careful handling of light convey a three‑dimensional presence, echoing the dramatic effects that made his candlelit scenes popular, yet here the focus remains on the artist’s own figure and tools.
History & Provenance
The portrait dates to a time when Wright was gaining recognition across Britain.
The canvas’s reverse side contains an early oil sketch for the later work An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, indicating Wright’s practice of reusing material. The portrait dates to a time when Wright was gaining recognition across Britain. Its subsequent ownership record traces through several private collections before entering a public museum, where it is displayed as an example of his self‑representation.
Artist & collection
Artist
Joseph Wright (3 September 1734 – 29 August 1797), styled Joseph Wright of Derby, was an English painter who specialised in portrait painting and landscape art.
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