An Academy by Lamplight

1772

William Pether after Joseph Wright

Associated Names
William Pether

Artist, British, 1739 - 1821

Joseph Wright

Artist After, British, 1734 - 1797

This is a painting of a group of people gathered around a sculpture in a dimly lit room. The scene depicts a neoclassical setting where individuals appear to be examining or discussing the central sculpture, a woman on a pedestal. The architecture features archways and columns with classical elements, creating a refined ambiance. The contrast between light and shadow enhances the focus on the sculpture and the expressions of the individuals.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    mezzotint on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Paul Mellon Fund

  • Dimensions

    plate: 58.3 x 45.8 cm (22 15/16 x 18 1/16 in.)
    sheet: 60.7 x 48.1 cm (23 7/8 x 18 15/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2001.96.11

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Smith 1884, no. 46, State i/ii

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Christopher Lennox-Boyd; (C. G. Boerner Limited, New York); purchased 2001 by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2002

  • Mezzotint Exhibtion, C.G. Boerner Inc., New York, 2002, no. 28.

Bibliography

1884

  • Smith, John Chaloner. British mezzotinto portraits, being a descriptive catalogue of these engravings from the introduction of the art to the early part of the present century. 4 vols. London: Henry Sotheran and Co., 1884.

1990

  • Clayton, Tim. "Catalogue of Engraved Works," in Wright of Derby. London, 1990: 231-258.

Inscriptions

lower center verso in graphite: P 52.469 CLB; lower left in plate: Ios. Wright. Pinxt.; lower right in plate: W. Pether. Fecit.

Watermarks

dovecote

Wikidata ID

Q76360015

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