Museum backs major Wright exhibition

A major exhibition dedicated to Joseph Wright of Derby is set to take place at the National Gallery later this year, in partnership with Derby Museums.

Wright of Derby: From the Shadows is set to take place at the London gallery from 7 November to 10 May 2026.

It will be the first major exhibition dedicated to the British artist’s ‘candlelight’ paintings and will feature a number of masterpieces.

Derby Museums will be loaning 17 artworks from its collection – including five of Wright’s best oil paintings – which will join with other paintings, mezzotints and objects to complete the exhibition.

Following the conclusion of the National Gallery exhibition, Wright of Derby: From the Shadows will then travel to Derby Museum and Art Gallery, bringing two of Wright’s most famous works, ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump’ (1768) and ‘A Philosopher giving that Lecture on the Orrery in which a lamp is put in place of the Sun’ (1766), back to his hometown for the first time in almost 80 years.

Derby Museums has said that dates for the Derby exhibition, which will take place in the summer of 2026, will be announced in due course.