Renowned British artist’s paintings on display for only fifth time in 250 years

Two paintings by one of the country’s most renowned artists have gone on public display for just the fifth time in more than 250 years.

The two “candlelight” paintings by Joseph Wright – A Girl Reading A Letter With An Old Man Reading Over Her Shoulder and Two Boys Fighting Over A Bladder – were unveiled at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery on Tuesday.

Both were painted in around 1767-70 by Wright, who was born in the city in 1734 and is widely regarded as one of the most compelling British painters of the age.

The works are on show to the public thanks to a long-term loan agreement between Derby Museums and the paintings’ private owner, via independent art agents Omnia Art Ltd.

Lucy Bamford, curator at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, said: “These two works enable us to introduce an element of Wright’s work that is otherwise not well represented within Derby Museums’ existing gallery displays.

“At the same time, it’s revealing to see them within the context of Wright’s other candlelight paintings, such as his famous Orrery.

The addition of these two works hugely enriches our offering to visitors, making world-renowned art accessible to everyone, which is something Derby Museums continually strives to achieve

Lucy Bamford

“Together they give us our clearest glimpse yet of some of Wright’s sources of inspiration: in this case Netherlandish paintings of the 17th century.

“With the exception of just one painting, at Kenwood House in London, all other examples of Wright’s candlelight fancy pictures are either in private ownership or are found in museums in the US.

“The addition of these two works hugely enriches our offering to visitors, making world-renowned art accessible to everyone, which is something Derby Museums continually strives to achieve.”

The paintings, examples of what were known in the 18th century as “fancies”, have been seen publicly only four times before, most recently at a temporary exhibition in London in 2016.

The paintings were carefully installed on Monday (Oliver Taylor/Derby Museums/PA)

Prior to that, they have been publicly seen only in 1990, 1958 and 1910, and it will be the first time the paintings have been seen in Derby.

The city’s Museum and Art Gallery is already home to the largest collection of Wright’s works in the world.

Its collection includes the most recent acquisition, Self-Portrait At the Age Of About Forty, and An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump, which was unveiled in May 2022.

Tony Butler, executive director at Derby Museum and Art Gallery said: “We are thrilled to now be the guardians of these two candlelight paintings by Wright and are very grateful to their owner for loaning them to us.

It is the first time the paintings have been seen publicly in Derby (Oliver Taylor/Derby Museums/PA)

“To our knowledge, both have only been seen publicly just four times at temporary exhibitions held in 1910, 1958, 1990 and 2016, meaning most visitors – and indeed most of the UK – will have never seen these paintings before.

“Regional museums play a major role in shaping a sense of pride in their towns, cities and communities. Many also hold collections of national significance and Derby is no exception.

“In this way, civic museums are integral to a thriving cultural life in the UK. This is another very proud moment for Derby Museums.”

The museum plans to launch an online catalogue of Wright’s work in 2024, drawing from almost 400 of his works from its collection to explore his life, which will begin in Derby and later tour other parts of the country.