Wright work (and doodle) saved for the nation
‘The incredible verso is the icing on the cake as it tells us so much about his way of working’
A SELF-PORTRAIT by Joseph Wright of Derby with an early sketch for his masterpiece on the back is to go on permanent public display for the first time after it was saved for the nation.
On the painting’s reverse is a study for An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, which is in the National Gallery.
The painting will go on free-standing display in the Derby Museum and Art Gallery so that both works can be seen.
Such displays have been used previously, including for The King and Queen Surrounded by Swift Nudes, by Marcel Duchamp, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Ginevra de’ Benci by Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
However, in the case of the Joseph Wright self-portrait, the two works are not in the same orientation. Therefore, staff will rotate the painting from time to time. A high-resolution digital image of the side not currently shown in its correct format, displayed next to the painting, will help viewers to understand what they are looking at.
The work was given to the nation by descendants of Thomas Coltman, a patron of Wright’s to whom the artist gave the painting. It was acquired via a scheme known as Acceptance in Lieu, which allows families to donate works of art or heritage objects to the nation in lieu of payment of inheritance tax.
However, the painting’s value exceeded the amount its owners owed by some £2.7million. Grants from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund and private donors and foundations made up the difference.
Lucy Bamford, a curator at the museum and a Joseph Wright expert, said: “We are extremely excited to be able to add this remarkable painting to our existing Joseph Wright collection.
“The way it depicts his growing confidence as an artist is wonderful, and the incredible verso is the icing on the cake as it tells us so much about his way of working.”
Joseph Wright, born in Irongate, Derby, in 1734, was known for his portrayal of extreme light differences, and as one of the first and best painters to address the early industrial revolution.
Tony Butler, director of Derby Museums, said: “We feel a palpable sense of ‘bringing Joseph Wright of Derby back home’.”