Although he was born more than two centuries after Caravaggio, Joseph Wright was deeply influenced by the earlier master's use of "tenebrism", an extreme type of chiaroscuro, which gave ordinary subjects an intense psychological element. The National Gallery had assembled a group of paintings by Wright and a few of his predecessors to present a dramatic visual experience. Because of our passion for the works of Caravaggio, Gerrit van Honthorst, Hendrick ter Brugghen, and Rembrandt, we were excited to view this presentation of works by a painter about whom we had known almost nothing. We were not disappointed, and the following visual presentation of Wright's "candlelight" paintings attempts to capture the spirit and the scope of the exhibition.

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Self-Portrait

(c. 1770 - 73)

The curators suggest that this treatment of a portrait in shadow may have been influenced by the works of Rembrandt and Rubens, which were quite popular in England in the late 18th century.

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An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump

(1768)

A dramatic image of a cruel experiment, in which a bird is placed in an air pump from which the air is then removed. Onlookers in the scene display shock, grief, and confusion at the result, all of which is heightened by Wright's use of lighting.

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A Girl Reading a Letter with an Old Man Reading Over her Shoulder

(c. 1767 - 70)

In this painting, the source of light is concealed by the paper, giving an intense glow to the letter. And who is the man? Her father? Her older husband?

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Detail of Girl Reading a Letter

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Two Boys Fighting Over a Bladder

(c. 1767 - 70)

The tussle for the inflated pig's bladder has caused the candle to tip over, illuminating the combat from below.

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The Alchemist in Search of the Philosopher's Stone

(Exhibited 1771)

The object of his search is a substance that transforms worthless matter into gold. The philosopher appears to have discovered phosphorus, which glows brightly in Wright's painting.

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A Blacksmith's Shop (detail)

(1771)

Wright often primed his canvas with bright white lead paint, the intense brightness of which would capture the intense color of the white-hot metal. The same approach was applied to the glowing phosphorus in the previous painting.

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A Philosopher by Lamplight (Detail)

(c. 1769)

A hermit considers two arm bones by the light of a small lamp.

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An Earthstopper on the Banks of the Derwent (Detail)

(1773)

During the night preceding a fox hunt, while foxes are out prowling for food, the earthstopper covers the entrances to their dens, improving the "sport" for the villagers. The light of the lantern coming from the ground heightens the drama of the scene.

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