Wright of Derby: The Shock of the New with Matthew Wilson

Description

Was Wright the original modern artist? Find out with Matthew Wilson.

Wright of Derby’s paintings offer us the vision of a world on the fault line of the old and the new. His works paid homage to tradition but grappled with the dilemmas of contemporary life, engaging directly with present-day issues and changes in society.

In the mid nineteenth century French poet and essayist Charles Baudelaire claimed that the ideal ‘painter of modern life’ should take the solid, “eternal” qualities of great art from the past and match it with the “ephemeral” changeability of the modern world. His words inspired Manet and the Impressionists and set the course of modern art history. But doesn’t Joseph Wright, almost 100 years ahead of his time, fit Baudelaire’s criteria perfectly? And if so, can we claim him as the original ‘modern artist’?

Matthew Wilson is a writer, art historian and educator who specialises in how we interpret and understand visual culture. He has written four books: Art Unpacked, The Hidden Language of Symbols, Symbols in Art and the forthcoming The Art of Happiness. Matthew’s writing has appeared in BBC Culture, The Economist, The Spectator, and Aesthetica Magazine, and he is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society.

Joseph Wright Rediscovered

This talk is presented as part of Joseph Wright Rediscovered: a series of specially curated talks about Wright’s life and work, exploring new and ongoing research from leading UK professionals. Organised by Derby Museums and the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art.

Suitable for Adults (18+).

Booking essential. Limited places.