Joseph Wright of Derby: Illuminating the Air Pump

Interesting display at Tate Britain examining the Wright of Derby picture “'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” which is usually at the National Gallery.

It talked about three aspects of Wright’s work, science, portraiture and light and talked about them in connection with this picture by showing other examples. There was  lovely picture of three children with a kite and one of Vesuvius erupting. Best all it was shown with a 1705 air pump! I’d not really been able to work out how a pump worked from the picture so it was great to see a real one. I’d done a study morning at the National Gallery on this picture recently so it was brilliant to see it in a new context.

 

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