New Getty Book Offers Timely Reexamination of Joseph Wright Via His Distinctive Candlelight Paintings
A hallmark of the artist from Derby, these works showcase an artist at the height of his talent
A Light in the Dark
Joseph Wright of DerbyAuthor
Julia Siemon
Body Content
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797) was an accomplished portraitist and landscape painter, however, it was his candlelight paintings—enthralling images characterized by dramatic lighting effects—that cemented his reputation as a recognized master of his craft.
These paintings were characterized by a mesmerizing ability to depict the incandescence of light piercing the dark, done so expertly almost as to have a magical effect. One such painting, Two Boys with a Bladder, is the kind of spellbinding painting that draws its viewers near, compelling us to search out the secrets of its illusions. From a distance, the hushed depiction of children illuminated by a hidden flame seems defined by intense precision and utter subtlety.
A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby (J. Paul Getty Museum, $30) traces the invention and initial development of Wright’s distinctive candlelight style, examining Wright himself—his biography, technique, and hometown of Derby—to provide a much-needed reexamination of the artist. The project was set into motion by the rediscovery of Wright’s Two Boys with a Bladder, acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2020. The unearthing of Two Boys, as one of Wright’s earliest candlelight works upended established assumptions about Wright and sparked renewed interest in the artist’s methods and motivations. Complete with fresh historical and technical evidence, this is a fascinating look into the inspirations, aspirations, and experiments behind some of the most remarkable paintings in the history of British art. This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from November 24, 2026, to March 14, 2027.
Endorsements
“This remarkable catalogue, concentrating solely on Wright of Derby’s early candlelight paintings, is a major addition to scholarship on an artist whose reputation has never been higher. It combines the very best of empirical research with fascinating new light on Wright’s technique and materials.”
— Brian Allen, Chairman, Hazlitt Group; former Director of Studies, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art
“The book published to accompany the exhibition ‘A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby’ forms a groundbreaking contribution to the literature on a series of key works by this most remarkable British artist of the eighteenth century. Containing exemplary scholarship, fresh insights, and in-depth technical analysis of the works in question, the publication, impeccably edited by Julia Siemon, is accessible to general readers and specialist art professionals alike.”
— Dr. Martin Postle, Senior Research Fellow, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London
A Light in the Dark
Joseph Wright of Derby$30/£26