An Academy by Lamplight

An Academy by Lamplight
ArtistJoseph Wright of Derby
Year1769
TypeOil on canvas, genre painting
Dimensions127 cm × 101 cm (50 in × 40 in)
LocationYale Center for British Art, Connecticut

An Academy by Lamplight is a 1769 genre painting by the British artist Joseph Wright of Derby.[1] It features a view of an art academy where a group of students are gathered round an Ancient Roman statue based on a Borghese Nymph with a Shell, studying of sketching. Lit by candlelight, it features the Tenebrism style that Wright used in a number of his paintings from the period. The lifelike statue in the shadows evokes the Pygmalion myth.[2]

Wright of Derby displayed the work at the Exhibition of 1769 held by the Society of Artists in London's Spring Gardens.[3] Today it is in the collection of the Yale Center for British Art in Connecticut.[4] A mezzotint based on the painting was produced un 1772 by William Pether.[5]

References

Bibliography

  • Barker, Elizabeth E. & Kidson, Alex . Joseph Wright of Derby in Liverpool. Yale University Press, 2007.
  • Riding, Christine & King, Jon. Wright of Derby: From the Shadows. National Gallery, 2005.