Joseph Wright of Derby :
Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight
Click on the picture to see an enlarged version.
- Oil on Canvas
- 1766
- Wallace Collection, London
In 1765 at the Society of Arts in London, Wright exhibited this painting, which he entitled, "Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight" It was his first major painting and was an immediate success.
This unusual composition reflects an important aspect of the Enlightenment, especially among the bourgeoisie: art was not frivolous, or mere decoration, but had a deep moral lesson. Thus, one of the most important new institutions of the mid-18th century was the museum, where the general public could come and learn from reproductions of the great sculptures of the past, and from the best of contemporary paintings.
The seriousness with which these men approach their task is perfectly caught in the painterly techniques which Wright has adopted. What makes this painting so serious? What kind of an impression did the artist want to make upon his viewers? And how has he achieved this goal?