Portrait of a man in monochrome, identified as Joseph Wright of Derby; turned to the right, with left hand tucked inside waistcoat, facing forwards. He wears his hair tied back, but a little loose at the temples. He wears a coat and waistcoat and his shirt is closed by a close-fitting neck stock. Inscription to verso, on stetcher 'Joseph Wright of Derby / copied by William Pether'. Made by William Pether (1738 - 1821), c.1767-70(?), pastel on paper laid on canvas, in black painted frame. Glazed.

Exhibitions:

  • Title: Paintings by Joseph Wright, A.R.A., commonly called "Wright of Derby", together with some Original Drawings, and a Complete Collection of Prints after his Works
    Venue: Derby Corporation Art Gallery
    Dates: from 16/04/1883 to 16/04/1883
  • Title: Wright of Derby
    Venue: Tate Gallery
    Dates: from 16/04/1990 to 16/04/1990
  • 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

Publications

  • Title: Wright of Derby
    Published Place: London
    Copyright: The Tate Gallery
    Published Year: 1990
  • 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

Related People

  • Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)

    Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797

    Nationality: British

    Biography: Artist.

  • William Pether (Artist)

    Display Date: 1738 - 1821

Joseph Wright

Date: 1767-1770

Medium: Pastels on buff coloured paper, laid on canvas.

Object Type:Drawing
Dimensions:Support: 470 × 394 mm (18 1/2 × 15 1/2 in.) Overall (Frame): 532 × 455 × 50 mm
Description:Previously catalogued as a self-portrait, but Elizabeth Barker has pointed out that the inscription of the verso might also suggest that the picture is a copy by Pether of a now lost self-portrait by Wright. [see Barker and Kidson, 2008, p.176] This was also how the picture was traditionally understood by previous owner, William Bemrose, when it was included in his Joseph Wright exhibition of 1883 at Derby Art Gallery. Exhibition catalogue reads: '54. Portrait - Joseph Wright, A.R.A. (in crayon). By Wm. Pether, the Mezzotint Engraver. Size 17 1/2 by 12 ins. Exhibitor: W. Bemrose.' [LB: 2024] The inscription 'copied by Wm Pether', suggests that this self portrait was engraved by Pether, but no such print is known to exist. William Pether engraved in mezzotint some of Wright's more important paintings, including, 'A Hermit', 'An Academy', 'An Alchymist', as well as 'A Philosopher lecturing on an Orrery'. That Wright produced a monochrome study of the 'Orrery' (see Nicolson pl.53), for Pether's use in the engraving process, adds further weight to the suggestion. Wright looks here in his mid-thirties, suggesting a date of around 1767-1770 for this study. He has a sense of confidence and self-assurance about him, appropriate to this stage of his career. He had already established himself as a recognised London exhibitor, was successfully selling his accomplished 'candlelight' subjects and having them engraved for sale as prints. [JW: 1997, p.66]
Inscriptions:Inscribed on recto, to centre left (very faint): 'Jo Wright'. Also on verso, on a label pasted onto the stretcher: 'Joseph Wright of Derby / copied by William Pether'.
Provenance:...; with William Bemrose of Derby by 1883; by descent to his son, Herbert Cheney Bemrose; donated to Derby Museums by Florence May Lousada, the widow of Herbert Cheney Bemrose, in 1954.
Viewing Status:Contact Us
Item Ref:1954-219/15
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Browse Collection