Portrait of a Woman

Joseph Wright (Wright of Derby)

ca. 1770 · Oil on canvas · European Paintings

Joseph Wright of Derby was the first major British painter to work almost entirely outside London. Most of his patrons were merchants or industrialists from the Midlands or members of the local gentry. This portrait of an unknown lady was probably painted about 1770, the high point of Wright's early career as a portraitist, and is a fine example of the direct, descriptive style he employed—far removed from the artificial conventions favored in London society.

Artist

Joseph Wright (Wright of Derby)

Date

ca. 1770

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Gift of Heathcote Art Foundation, 1986