Joseph Wright of Derby's works at The National Gallery exude an unsettling beauty, drawing viewers into his scientific spectacles with hypnotic allure. His 1760s and '70s landscapes are imbued with a sense of foreboding that prefigures the gothic novel movement by generations.
In "An Earthstopper on the Banks of the Derwent", Wright captures the eerie atmosphere of nightfall, using moonlight to illuminate his subject's sinister actions - blocking a fox den in order to facilitate hunting. This act of predation feels eerily reminiscent of human cruelty and disregard for life, foreshadowing the horrors that would come with the emergence of modern science.
In contrast, "A Philosopher by Lamplight" presents a stark contrast - two young travellers stumble upon an old man engaged in philosophical inquiry within a candle-lit cave. The old man is contemplating the mysteries of mortality and the nature of existence. Yet, this tranquil atmosphere belies the darker undertones that Wright would later explore in his works.
Wright's fascination with scientific experimentation is exemplified by "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump", where a young girl covers her face in horror as the lecturer conducts an experiment that involves creating a vacuum within a glass chamber, killing the white cockatoo inside. This painting distills Wright's growing unease about the power of science and its implications for human life.
One notable aspect of Wright's orrery paintings is how they play on the scale of the observer's perspective - shifting from intimate close-ups to panoramic views that emphasize the grandeur of scientific discovery. This visual trickery serves as a testament to Wright's understanding of the power dynamics at play in his depiction of scientific progress.
Ultimately, Wright's works serve as a chilling warning about the dangers of unchecked scientific progress and its potential for cruelty and exploitation. In a world where science is increasingly perceived as a force capable of shaping reality itself, Wright's paintings seem eerily prophetic - foreshadowing both the exhilarating promise of discovery and the dark consequences of harnessing its power without moral restraint.
In "An Earthstopper on the Banks of the Derwent", Wright captures the eerie atmosphere of nightfall, using moonlight to illuminate his subject's sinister actions - blocking a fox den in order to facilitate hunting. This act of predation feels eerily reminiscent of human cruelty and disregard for life, foreshadowing the horrors that would come with the emergence of modern science.
In contrast, "A Philosopher by Lamplight" presents a stark contrast - two young travellers stumble upon an old man engaged in philosophical inquiry within a candle-lit cave. The old man is contemplating the mysteries of mortality and the nature of existence. Yet, this tranquil atmosphere belies the darker undertones that Wright would later explore in his works.
Wright's fascination with scientific experimentation is exemplified by "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump", where a young girl covers her face in horror as the lecturer conducts an experiment that involves creating a vacuum within a glass chamber, killing the white cockatoo inside. This painting distills Wright's growing unease about the power of science and its implications for human life.
One notable aspect of Wright's orrery paintings is how they play on the scale of the observer's perspective - shifting from intimate close-ups to panoramic views that emphasize the grandeur of scientific discovery. This visual trickery serves as a testament to Wright's understanding of the power dynamics at play in his depiction of scientific progress.
Ultimately, Wright's works serve as a chilling warning about the dangers of unchecked scientific progress and its potential for cruelty and exploitation. In a world where science is increasingly perceived as a force capable of shaping reality itself, Wright's paintings seem eerily prophetic - foreshadowing both the exhilarating promise of discovery and the dark consequences of harnessing its power without moral restraint.
. HIS PAINTINGS ARE LIKE A WINDOW INTO THE MINDS OF THE PAST, SHOWING US THAT EVEN BACK THEN, PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POWER OF SCIENCE AND HOW IT COULD BE ABUSED 
. I MEAN, WHO CAN FORGET THOSE HORRIFYING EXPERIMENTS WITH BIRDS IN A GLASS CHAMBER? 
IT'S LIKE HE WAS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SCIENCE GOING TOO FAR 
. ANYWAY, I THINK HIS WORKS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT TODAY BECAUSE THEY GIVE US INSIGHT INTO HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT IN OUR OWN TIME 
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: Wright was like a futuristic sci-fi horror writer but with paintbrushes 
. His art is giving us all the feels... anxiety about the future 
Wright's orrery paintings are trippy too they're like you're right there with him in this vast universe 
but overall his art is like a warning sign for humanity to chill out with all that sciency stuff 
i mean who creates a painting of someone killing a bird in an air pump? 
and the way he uses light and shadow to create this eerie atmosphere... it's like you can feel the unease from the moment you walk into the gallery 
ugh, i need to go read some more about him now 
! Joseph Wright's artwork is like a time capsule, showing us how our society views science and nature 250+ years ago. It's crazy to see how his paintings were ahead of their time, predicting the darker side of scientific progress 
. His landscapes are like a harbinger of doom, predicting the rise of sci-fi and gothic novels. And those paintings of experimentation? Chilling, right? Like, who knew science could be so... dark 
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and don't even get me started on "a philosopher by lamplight"... it's like wright was trying to show us that even in times of introspection and contemplation, there can be this darker undertone lurking beneath the surface 
That guy was like a sci-fi forecaster or something... his paintings are so unsettlingly beautiful, you know? 
. I also love how his paintings are all about playing with perspective and scale... it's like he's saying "hey, let's talk about power dynamics" 
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and dont even get me started on "the experiment" what if that was real life? 
Can't get enough of this exhibit, btw! 
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. Wright was like a visionary warning us about the perils of playing god without a moral compass 
. We'd do well to listen up and consider the unintended consequences of our "progress" 
. and can we talk about how he uses light to set the mood? like, "A Philosopher by Lamplight" is literally my fave... it's like this peaceful cave scene, but then you realize it's actually really dark and scary underneath 
. anyway, Wright's orrery paintings are so cool, they make me feel like i'm part of a tiny universe or something 
, making you feel uneasy when you gaze upon them 
, especially when it comes at the cost of life & compassion 
. It's like he's saying, "Hey, science can be cool, but don't forget to consider the consequences" 
and if u look at the data on google trends, Wright's paintings have seen a huge spike in interest since the COVID-19 pandemic - like, who knew people would be into this kinda stuff during lockdowns? 
"An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump" is honestly giving me nightmares 