Joseph Wright of Derby

An English artist who explored a new direction

Joseph Wright (1734–97) spent much of his life in his birth town of Derby and is thus often referred to as “Joseph Wright of Derby”. He was an original painter who is generally renowned for his paintings that used science and industry for their subjects. He was, however, also an excellent portraitist and painter of landscapes.

His Early Life

Joseph Wright was one of five children born to a Derby attorney, his date of birth being 3rd September 1734. Little is known about his childhood apart from the fact that he was educated at Derby Grammar School and that he was interested in drawing from an early age.

When he was aged 17 he was sent to London to be apprenticed to Thomas Hudson, a fashionable portrait painter. After two years he returned to Derby, being somewhat dissatisfied with spending too much time finishing the background details of Hudson’s portraits.

Wright tried to establish himself as a portraitist in Derby, but came to realise that he needed more guidance. He therefore went back to Hudson’s studio for a further 15 months.

On his second return to Derby he tried his hand again as a professional portraitist, and this time he was more successful. He soon established a reputation for this kind…