Group portrait of a man, woman, and child, identified as Richard Arkwright, his wife Mary, and daughter Anne; full-length. The family are pictured within an unidentified landscape; a large rocky crag fills much of the background and Mary is seated on a green bench with a green umbrella at her side. Her daughter Anne is perched upon her knee supported by Richard, whose hand rests upon her shoulder. Inscribed to recto, on rock to right of Richard Arkwright: 'I. Wright Pinxt. / 1790.' Painted by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Oil on canvas in gilded frame.

Exhibitions:

Title: Wright of Derby: The Bi-centenary Exhibition of Paintings by Joseph Wright
Venue: Derby Corporation Art Gallery
Dates: from 03/09/1934 to 18/11/1934
Title: Loan Exhibition of Works by Joseph Wright A.R.A. of Derby
Venue: Graves' Galleries
Dates: from 06/06/2026 to 06/06/2026

Publications

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

Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.
Richard Arkwright (Content)
Display Date: British, 1755 - 1843
Nationality: British

Portrait of Richard Arkwright Junior with his wife Mary and daughter Anne

Date: 1790

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Object Type:	Painting
Dimensions:	Frame: 2690 × 1835 × 90 mm (105 7/8 × 72 1/4 × 3 9/16 in.) Support: 2438 × 1587 mm (96 × 62 1/2 in.)
Description:	Richard Arkwright was the son of Sir Richard Arkwright, the famous industrial entrepreneur. This portrait, along with that of his father on display in this gallery, and two more showing his children, were commissioned for his home at Bakewell and completed between 1789 and 1791. Arkwright junior’s interests went beyond factories to include investment banking and stocks. He amassed a huge amount of land, purchased government stocks until he was the largest holder of funds in England and lent money to the nobility. At his death, he was described as ‘the richest commoner in Europe’ with a fortune worth an estimated £33 million.
Inscriptions:	'I. Wright Pinxt. / 1790.' Recto, on rock to right of Richard Arkwright.
Provenance:	Commissioned by Richard Arkwright junior; by descent through the Arkwright family to F. C. Arkwright, Esq. in 1910; then Captain Richard A. Arkwright in 1934; thence by descent to the last owner, from whom purchased by Derby Museums in 2003.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	2003-153