Joseph Wright of Derby

Derby Museums is home to the world’s largest collection of work by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 – 1797).

Born in Derby, Wright is internationally renowned and his paintings and works on paper adorn the walls of major galleries the world over. Famed as a “painter of light” and for his association with key members of the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment, he is now considered to be one of Britain’s most interesting and wide-ranging painters.

You can see the Joseph Wright Collection at the Museum & Art Gallery in Derby, where we have a dedicated gallery for oil paintings and the Joseph Wright Study Room where you can explore hundreds of original drawings and discover more about his life and world.

You can explore some of Joseph’s work here - click on an image to enlarge it and see the title and additional information.