Joseph Wright of Derby
A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
1766
Painted in 1766 by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797), 'A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery' is one of the founding icons of Enlightenment science. A single lamp inside a scaled model of the solar system (an orrery) lights the mechanism from within, throwing its planetary shadows across the rapt faces of a mixed audience — men, women, children — each registering a different mix of wonder, doubt, curiosity, and instruction. Wright captured the moment in which scientific light, rather than divine revelation, began to stand for truth in British culture. The painting is the signature work of Derby Museum and Art Gallery.
Exhibition Venue
Image source: Wikimedia Commons