Portrait of a man, called John Whitehurst; Kit-cat, facing right. He wears a plain brown coat and matching waistcoat; his light grey hair is worn naturally. He is seated at a drawing board upon which is a large sheet of paper and a diagram, inscribed 'Section of the Strata at Matlock High Tor'. He leans his right hand on the paper, but his pencil is inverted. To the right of the scene is an open window with a view to a distant, gently smouldering volcano. Painted by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Oil on canvas in gilded frame.

Exhibitions:

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Bath and Beyond
Venue: The Holburne Museum of Art
Dates: from 25/01/2014 to 05/05/2014
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Bath and Beyond (2)
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 24/05/2014 to 31/08/2014
Title: Exhibition of the Derby Mechanics' Institution
Venue: Derby Mechanics' Institute
Dates: from 06/06/2026 to 06/06/2026

Publications

Title: Wright of Derby
Author: Judy Egerton
Published Place: London
Copyright: The Tate Gallery
Published Year: 1990
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light
Sub-Title: Volume 1
Volume: 1
Author: Benedict Nicolson
Published Place: London
Copyright: Benedict Nicolson, 1968
Published Year: 1968

Related People

John Whitehurst (Content)
Display Date: British, 1713 - 1788
Nationality: British
Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.

John Whitehurst

Date: 1782-1783

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Object Type:	Painting
Dimensions:	Frame: 1063 × 905 × 75 mm (41 7/8 × 35 5/8 × 2 15/16 in.) Support: 921 × 711 mm (36 1/4 × 28 in.)
Description:	Portrait of John Whitehurst, 1782-83; While this painting may seem like an odd choice for inclusion in this exhibition, Joseph Wright's depiction of landscape in this portrait is integral to our understanding of the portrait and its sitter. Beneath the window from which we see a volcano gently billowing, John Whitehurst, the celebrated Derby watchmaker and scientist, holds a picture. It is his own representation of landscape, in the form of a drawing of the rock strata that make up nearby Matlock High Tor. This illustrated the publication of his discovery that the Tor had been formed by prehistoric volcanic activity. Through the inclusion of a volcano, the theory behind the diagram is made more explicit. Interestingly, Whitehurst never saw a live volcano himself, so the view in this picture is imaginary. Wright was fortunate to witness the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy when he visited the country between 1773 and 1775, he wrote to his brother: When you see Whitehurst, tell him I wished for his company when on Mount Vesuvius, his thoughts would have centred on the bowels of the mountain, mine skimmed over the surface only. For Wright, the volcano acts as a metaphor for Whitehurst's deeper, unseen character. It is a motif by which we understand his geological interests, and the intellectual activity bubbling beneath an apparently sober and calm exterior. Portrait of John Whitehurst 1782-83 by Joseph Wright of Derby; oil on canvas 921 x 711 mm. Inscribed 'Section of the Strata at Matlock High Tor' with a brush along the lower edge of his Whitehurst's drawing. Portrait of the Clockmaker and Scientist John Whitehurst (1713-88) with a diagram showing a section of Matlock High Tor before him. The volcano in the background is a reference to his interest in geology. Joseph Wright in a letter to his brother from Rome 11 Nov 1774 writes 'When you see Whitehurst, tell him I wished for his company when on Mount Vesuvius, his thoughts would have center'd in the bowels of the mountain, mine skimmed over the surface only'.
Provenance:	Listed in Wright's Account Book as 'Mr. Whitehurst Kit Cat £18.18'; by descent to the sitter's nephew; by descent to his son, by whom passed to his apprentice, Smith; by descent to the present owner, by whom lent to Derby Museums on a long-term basis beginning in 2007.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	L2007-1