Joseph Wright of Derby - An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump [1768], originally uploaded by Gandalf's Gallery.
A travelling scientist is shown demonstrating the formation of a vacuum by withdrawing air from a flask containing a white cockatoo, though common birds like sparrows would normally have been used. Air pumps were developed in the 17th century and were relatively familiar by Wright's day. The artist's subject is not scientific invention, but a human drama in a night-time setting. The bird will die if the demonstrator continues to deprive it of oxygen, and Wright leaves us in doubt as to whether or not the cockatoo will be reprieved. The painting reveals a wide range of individual reactions, from the frightened children, through the reflective philosopher, the excited interest of the youth on the left, to the indifferent young lovers concerned only with each other. The figures are dramatically lit by a single candle, while in the window the moon appears. On the table in front of the candle is a glass containing a skull.
Joseph Wright was born in Derby, the son of a local lawyer. Among his patrons were Wedgwood and Arkwright. Although some of his paintings have been associated with the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, Wright's principal interest was in the dramatic rendering of light and shade offered by such subjects.
[Oil on canvas, 183 x 244 cm]
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