<i>A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery</i>
date: label: date made
content: 1768
notes: label: Description
content: In 1766 a talented and ambitious young English artist named Joseph Wright displayed a large oil painting, <i>A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is put in Place of the Sun</i>. This painting, now owned by the Derby Museum and Art Gallery, clearly captured the interest in astronomy and natural philosophy that was widespread in England in the 18th century. The instrument in the center resembles a Grand Orrery of the sort that Thomas Wright of London began making in the early 1730s. The individuals have not been identified, but their faces have been likened to the phases of the moon.
label: Description
content: Mezzotint copies of Wright’s painting-drawn by William Pether and published by John Boydell in London-were widely known. This is one of those copies. The text at the bottom reads: “A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery. From the Original Picture Painted by Mr. Joseph Wright; In the Collection of the Right Honorable the Earl of Ferrers. Published May 20th 1768” and “Jos. Wright Pinxit” and “J. Boydell excudit” and “W. Pether delint et fecit 1768.”
label: Description
content: Ref: T. Clayton, <i>The English Print</i> (New Haven and London, 1997).
label: Description
content: Elizabeth Barker, “New Light on the Orrery: Joseph Wright and the Representation of Art in 18th Century Britain,” <i>British Art Journal</i> 1 (Spring 2000): 29-37.
label: Description
content: David Fraser, “Joseph Wright of Derby and the Lunar Society,” in Judy Edgerton, ed., <i>Wright of Derby</i> (London: Tate Gallery, 1990).
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
label: See more items in
content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Prints from the Physical Sciences Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.321746
label: catalog number
content: 321746
label: accession number
content: 244964
objectType: label: Object Name
content: mezzotint
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 20 in x 24 in; 50.8 cm x 60.96 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 28 in x 32 in x 1 1/8 in; 71.12 cm x 81.28 cm x 2.8575 cm