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Description: | Joseph Wright of Derby was very closely connected with the scientists and philosophers of his time. He expressed his interest in industry and technology in his scenes of iron forges and blacksmith's shops. As a painter he was impressed by picturesque contrasts between illumination and darkness which he could view at industrial shops or scientific experiments and lectures. He became one of the few British artists who explored the dramatic effects of a single light source, and the play of shadows, which resulted. He called them the "Candlelight pictures," and they were very popular. One of his contemporaries wrote in his diary in 1785: 'Saw Wright of Derby's exhibition... Here we have some pictures of great merit in the peculiar style of his pencil - moon lights, storms of thunder and lightening, different effects of fire..." One of the London artists called Wright "the most famous painter now living for candlelights." These pictures were copied not only by Wright of Derby himself but also by many other painters. 'The Boys Blowing on a Bladder' was exhibited at the London Scoiety of Artists in 1767 or 1768. The original is now lost, but during the 1770s the printed engravings were made, and at the same time several painted copies were produced. Our picture shows not two but only one boy with a bladder, so it is a copy of only a fragment of the Wright's painting.
Oil painting showing a boy blowing up a bladder. He is wearing a brown jacket, white shirt and brown hat. The scene is dark and lit by candlelight. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/ | Publisher: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Rights holder: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Subjects: | Bladder People and roles Fine arts Boys Oil painting Paintings Oil Paintings Children People Georgian period Art collections | Temporal: | 1750 - 1800
Georgian (1714-1837) | Source: | Black Country History | Creator: | WRIGHT; JOSEPH (1734 - 1797); of Derby (after) | Identifier: | http://www.blackcountryhistory.org/colle... | Go to resource |
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