Skip to main content

Joseph Wright of Derby, 'Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight', 1765

 



In the dimness of candlelight, Joseph Wright of Derby depicts three figures gazing intently at the Classical nude sculpture in the centre of the work. The viewer joins in this exploration, taking their own seat at the table right in front of the the leaning, contrapposto figure, which seems to be an imitation of the Borghese Gladiator. From light to dark, from flesh to marble, Derby's painting is typical of his tenebristic style, yet here he takes on a new subject that expands beyond his oeuvre of portraits, or even beyond his most well known work An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump.

Certainly, the work in question bears similarities to the Air Pump, particularly in the sudden explosion of light cast across the sculpture. Not only does this illuminate the musculature of the lean, stretching gladiator, but it also allows to viewer to catch a glimpse of the faces which surround the table, all of whom are individualised - in fact, the work is even said to include a portrait of the artist himself. Although the eye is immediately drawn to the central figure and his distinct red collar, the spectacled gentleman who cranes his neck on the far left is a particularly characterful depiction: his hand stretches right the way around the table in front of the viewer, as if he is pulling himself closer to the sculpture for a more useful angle of study, examining the movement and material with an intense depth of intellectualism. From these three figures, Derby also illustrates the training of artists during the eighteenth century, studying from the Classical nude, attempting to imitate the ancient artistic practices which were held up in the Enlightenment age as the pinnacle of creative achievement. Not only is this painting a celebration of Derby's abilities to handle light and dark, even amidst the limited, earthy palette, it also accurately portrays the intellectual, Academic mood of the time. 

This is a painting dominated by lines of sight: through the intensity of Derby's deep shadows, through the creation of what we can and cannot see, from what both the viewer is looking at and the learned gentlemen in the painting are viewing at the same time, and what is produced from that, modelled by the drawing on the far right of the canvas (also an example of meta painting). Only ten years before this painting, eminent art historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann had outlined the 'noble simplicity and quiet grandeur' which artists should be evoking in their depictions of the Classical past, citing the Belvedere Torso as evidence of this. In Derby's painting, he has achieved exactly that: a subtle yet powerful evocation of the ancient tradition in artistic practice, and the Enlightenment aim to imitate that in all its glory. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

John Everett Millais, 'Peace Concluded', 1856

  My eye is drawn to the copy of The Times clutched in the hands of the officer. The white of the figurine on the man's knee and the white of his wife's sleeves all serve to make the white paper stand out even more on the canvas. As the title of the painting suggests, this is about the end of the Crimean War, seemingly depicting a soldier who has just returned home, surrounded by his family, but the mood is perhaps less euphoric than you might expect. The soldier seems somber and weary, and his wife has a look of concern. Although on the surface it seems to be quite a harmonious composition representing a close knit and traditional family, the positioning of the man is odd. It is his wife who takes her place at the apex of the triangular composition, the soldier is reduced to an emasculated role, perhaps an invalid, as suggested by the blanket over his legs. Her face is passive, but not exactly positive. With her arms draped around her husband, she looks posed, dutiful but not...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ernst Barlach, 'The Avenger', 1914

  On the advent of both the First World War and the artistic movement known as Futurism, Ersnt Barlach cast this work in bronze. The eye picks out an angular, horizontal form, a sense of hurried pace and strong facial features to this work by the German Expressionist artist. This piece is highly interesting when discussed in terms of the artist's oeuvre - Barlach entered the First World War with a clear attitude of patriotism. The sculpture reflects that, as the figure seemingly thrusts forward wielding a sizeable weapon above his head, leading the charge head on. Describing the sculpture as his 'raging Barbarian' it is clear that Barlach wanted to present an emotionally charged figure. Perhaps it is even a self portrait, with Barlach picturing himself as the hero. The artist did in fact serve briefly as an infantry officer. However realisation soon dawned and patriotism quickly dwindled. All of Barlach's sculptures from this point onward are influenced by the horror an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tondino di Guerrino, 'Crucifix', 1325-30

  The monumental crucifixes of Cimabue, Giotto and their followers, and their transition from Byzantine forms towards increased dynamism and naturalism, have been well studied. Equally, smaller works by French Gothic practitioners in ivory are now beginning to permeate scholarship, mainly through the detailed exploration by Sarah Guerin. The goldsmiths of Siena do not command as much attention. Yet, they hold the key to artistic synthesis in the early fourteenth century. This is proved by the small processional crucifix currently at the National Gallery's iteration of Siena: The Rise of Painting 1300-50, attributed to Tondino di Guerrino.  Tondino combines enamel with an intricate gold sculptural presentation of the crucified Christ in this small, portable work. Instantly, the eye is drawn to the central element - the thin, skeletal body hanging from two stretched, emaciated arms. Christ's torso is drawn inwards, his ribs exposed, mimicking a sharp intake of breath. The downwa...
Post a Comment
Read more