Joseph Wright of Derby

The first examination of Wright's little-known Bath period, Joseph Wright of Derby: Bath and Beyond places the artist in the context of a city then at the height of its unique cultural significance.

Joseph Wright (1734-1797) arrived in Bath from his native Derby in November 1775. Recently returned from a tour of Italy, he came to the fashionable spa town to re-establish his business as a portrait painter, hoping to fill the vacancy left by Thomas Gainsborough the previous year.

Using rarely-seen illustrations of his work, this book considers Wright's attempts to conquer a saturated portrait market with images of local celebrities, and his use of domestic spaces for public exhibition. His celebrated views of fireworks in Rome and the terrors of Vesuvius were first shown in Bath.

Beautifully illustrated and highly readable, this title sheds new light on a key moment in this important English artist's career, deepening our understanding of his life and work as a whole.