Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734–1797, British, active in Italy (1773–75)
Title:
The Blacksmith's Shop
Date:
1771
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
50 1/2 x 41 inches (128.3 x 104.1 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1981.25.712
Gallery Label:
Joseph Wright of Derby made his name in the mid-1760s by exhibiting striking pictures in London, usually modern subjects lit by artificial light. By the time he exhibited this painting in 1771, he was described by a critic as “a very great and uncommon genius.” This, the first of several versions of a blacksmith’s shop at night, alludes to old master paintings in its use of light and in the introduction of ecclesiastical ruins for a setting. However, the subject is completely contemporary, even mundane: a pair of blacksmiths forge a horseshoe so that a group of travelers can continue on their journey. It was purchased from Wright’s studio by Peniston Lamb, first Viscount Melborne (1745–1828), who also owned the Academy by Lamplight (shown nearby). Lord Melbourne paid Wright the considerable sum of 150 guineas for this picture, the same price Sir Joshua Reynolds was then charging for a full-length portrait. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016