{"product_id":"a-light-in-the-dark-joseph-wright-of-derby-979-8887120416","title":"A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #cc0000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailable November 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdited by Julia Siemon\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA timely reexamination of Joseph Wright’s captivating “candlelight” paintings, featuring the recently rediscovered \u003ci\u003eTwo Boys with a Bladder\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dramatic “candlelight” paintings of Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797) cast a spell, enthralling viewers with striking scenes that portray human curiosity, the quiet intensity of domestic life, and the excitement of scientific discovery. With a variety of brushstrokes—dabbed here, whiskered there, and dragged elsewhere—Wright pushed boundaries with the transformative power of light. In 2020, the Getty Museum acquired the newly rediscovered \u003ci\u003eTwo Boys with a Bladder\u003c\/i\u003e (1767), a luminous study of innovation, intimacy, and artistic brilliance that challenged established assumptions about Wright and sparked renewed interest in his experiments with light.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Light in the Dark\u003c\/i\u003e presents new research to uncover the origins of \u003ci\u003eTwo Boys\u003c\/i\u003e and expand our understanding of Wright's early candlelights, tracing the invention and initial development of his distinctive style. Whereas recent scholarship has maintained an outward approach that ties the artist’s oeuvre to places that he visited, this volume returns the focus to Wright himself—his biography, technique, and hometown of Derby—in a much-needed reexamination. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJulia Siemon is deputy director and chief curator at Bard Graduate Center. Her publications include, as editor and primary author, \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Caesars\u003c\/i\u003e (2017), and, as contributing author, \u003ci\u003eThe Medici\u003c\/i\u003e (2021), \u003ci\u003eA Royal Renaissance Treasure and Its Afterlives\u003c\/i\u003e (2021), and others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“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.”\u003cbr\u003e—Brian Allen, Chairman, Hazlitt Group; former Director of Studies, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e144 pages\u003cbr\u003e8 1\/2 x 10 1\/4 inches\u003cbr\u003e81 color and 10 b\/w illustrations, 1 table\u003cbr\u003eISBN 979-8-88712-041-6\u003cbr\u003epaperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGetty Publications\u003cbr\u003eImprint: J. Paul Getty Museum\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2026\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GETTY TRUST PUBLICATIONS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48180518420672,"sku":"9798887120416","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8502\/files\/9798887120416.jpg?v=1776903367","url":"https:\/\/shop.getty.edu\/products\/a-light-in-the-dark-joseph-wright-of-derby-979-8887120416","provider":"Getty Museum Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}