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An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump
Joseph Wright of Derby · Rococo & Neoclassicism
- Artist
- Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797)
- Date
- 1768
- Dimensions
- 183 x 244 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump shows a travelling lecturer demonstrating the newly invented vacuum pump to a family gathered around a table at night. A white cockatoo flaps inside a glass bowl as the air is drawn out of it.
A closer look
The only light comes from a candle hidden behind a glass of murky liquid on the table, casting strong shadows in the manner of Caravaggio. The scientist, with long grey hair, looks out at us, his hand on the valve that will decide whether the bird lives or dies. Around him the spectators react differently: two girls are frightened and turn away, a man calmly times the experiment, a pair of young lovers have eyes only for each other, and an old man meditates on mortality. The picture captures the wonder and moral questions of the Age of Enlightenment.
