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A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
Joseph Wright of Derby · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797)
- Date
- c. 1766
- Dimensions
- 147.2 x 203.2 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, United Kingdom
This painting shows a scholar demonstrating an orrery, a clockwork model of the solar system, to a small audience in a darkened room. A lamp placed where the sun would be lights up the faces of the onlookers.
A closer look
The brass rings and planets of the orrery form a glittering structure at the centre, casting curved shadows over the group. The lecturer, in a red robe, explains the movement of the planets, perhaps an eclipse; a man takes notes, two young boys lean in with wonder, and a girl watches with rapt attention. Wright shows the faces at different ages, as if to suggest the transmission of knowledge between generations. Scientific demonstrations like this were popular entertainment in 18th-century Britain.
