Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734-1797: Bicentenary Exhibition
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 21/06/1997 to 28/09/1997
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby in Liverpool
Venue: Walker Art Gallery
Dates: from 17/11/2007 to 24/02/2008
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Life on Paper
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 23/05/2025 to 07/09/2025

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
Published Place: Derby
Published Year: 1997
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light
Sub-Title: Volume 1
Volume: 1
Published Place: London
Copyright: Benedict Nicolson, 1968
Published Year: 1968
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Darkness
Published Place: London
Published Year: 2020

Peter Perez Burdett (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1733 - 1793
Nationality: British
Biography: Cartographer; artist.
Dr Matthew Turner (Association)
Display Date: died 1789
Biography: Physician; chemist
Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.

Verso: Letter Written by Peter Perez Burdett, relating to 'The Alchymist'

Date: 04.02.1771

Medium: Pen and ink on paper.

Object Type:	Letter
Dimensions:	Support: 272 × 337 mm (10 11/16 × 13 1/4 in.)
Description:	Cartographer and artist, Peter Perez Burdett, (depicted by Wright taking notes in 'A Philosopher Lecturing on an Orrery', plate 5), produced the first properly surveyed map of Derbyshire in 1767. His reference above to 'painting History without figure, Landscape without Trees,' etc., Judy Egerton (1) believes is referring to his production of the first aquatints in England. He was later believed to have sold the secret to the artist Paul Sandby for £40. (1) Egerton, 1990 p.89. [Wallis, J. 'Joseph Wright of Derby' (1997), p.69-70.] Matthew Craske notes (following on from Stephen Daniels and Paul Elliott, that the sketch/letter is evidence of the collaborative making behind the Alchymist - in this case with Burdett. Craske connects Wright's other so-called 'scientific' pictures with Burdett, too, and makes the point that Wright moved away from such subjects when his friendship with Burdett became afected by Burdett's move to Germany. [Craske, 2020, p.195.]
Provenance:	... ; with William Bemrose in 1883; thence to his son, Herbert Cheney Bemrose, by whom donated to Derby Museums in 1922.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	1922-861B