'Wright' time to fully acknowledge our brilliant Joseph

Let me start straight-up with a question, have you ever heard of Vincent Van Gogh? 

Thought so.

How about Leonardo da Vinci, Monet or Turner? Maybe Botticelli or Holbein? 

Yep, thought so too. 

In fact, I’d go on to hazard a guess that you have probably even seen the work of some of these artists whilst visiting a gallery during a holiday somewhere in the world.

So, here is another question then. 

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If Derby was hosting the greatest paintings of say, Michelangelo da Caravaggio, do you think you might want to pop into town and catch the exhibition? Maybe even make a special visit to see his art right here on your own doorstep?

I only ask as last month the National Gallery – one of the most celebrated art museums in the world – revealed their top 20 works of art, based on global viewings during lockdown. 

The line-up was a veritable ‘who’s who’ of the greatest artists and their paintings. 

It was a Hall of Fame that featured not only all the names mentioned above, but plus – and you know where this is going and what I’m about to say – it included that of Joseph Wright of Derby. 

Yes, Derby’s own 18th century enlightenment genius is listed in the top 20 pantheon of household names by none other than the National Gallery. 

We should be so proud of this as his work is clearly revered around the world, except possibly it might be said, here in his hometown, where he lived and worked for most of his life. Sadly, too many locals have little or no idea of the significance attached to the work of Wright of Derby. 

Maybe it’s time to change this.

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Joseph Wright was born on Irongate in 1734 and died on neighbouring Queen Street, 63 years later. You couldn’t get more local. But Wright was no provincial; he lived and worked in London, Liverpool and Bath and went on the ubiquitous grand tour to Naples.

However, his magnetic centre was always Derby – its people, its innovations, and its countryside.

Wright’s streetscape is familiar to us today – All Saints’ Church (now Derby Cathedral), the Silk Mill factory (now the Museum of Making), even the Dolphin and Old Bell pubs would have been known to him.

The recognition from the National Gallery, placing him in this club of artistic geniuses, is a reminder that the art of Joseph Wright is collected across the world; at Yale University, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the Louvre in Paris.

Of course, many of his greatest works are held in Derby and so you don’t need to go to London, Paris or further afield to see his art – as lockdown lifts, you can visit him, for free, at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. I urge you to do so and promise that if you spend some time absorbing his insights you will be astonished. 

We ran this year’s Marketing Derby Annual Business Event online as a film with the theme ‘From Darkness, through Light onto Hope.’ 

We felt the need to recognise the pandemic, its impact on lives and livelihoods but also to offer optimism for the future. COVID legal restrictions made its creation a real challenge (met brilliantly by Avit Media and our numerous contributors) and an impressive 531 people attended the event live one March Friday morning.

Each year the Dare to Dream slot is a personal pitch on chosen theme and we have had some fantastic and memorable moments delivered by our guests from the stage.

This year I took the slot and felt the time was right to propose a dedicated home, in Derby, for Wright of Derby. 

The basis for my case was the undisputed quality of his work, the relevance of his message 300-years on (most especially how it might contribute to our ambitions to increase social mobility) and that this Derbeian superstar could play a role in reshaping our post-pandemic city.

Many cities across the globe celebrate their home-grown talent, providing homes for collections to attract visitors and support regeneration. 

Think of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh or the Picasso Museum in Malaga. 

Our twin city Osnabruck in Germany hosts the stunning Daniel Libeskind – architect for projects such as the World Trade Centre in New York City – designed museum, dedicated to the work of Felix Nussbaum. 

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Nussbaum was a Jewish artist, born and worked in Osnabruck and killed in Auschwitz. I’m lucky enough to have been to the museum and can only describe it as a visceral experience and one of the primary reasons to visit Osnabruck.

Closer to home, the Hepworth in Wakefield attracts half a million visitors each year.

I believe that the Derby Museum and Art Gallery is a wonderful custodian for the work of Joseph Wright but, as Derby creates its 21st century post-Covid purpose and the need to reimagine our city centre, I ask is this not the time to celebrate our global superstar?

It was in the 18th century, during the life of Joseph Wright, that Derby became a place of innovation.

The city hosted the world’s first factory and subsequently led the world in rail, aerospace and nuclear technology. Now, 300 years later, we seek new purpose, a catalyst for hope and ambition.

As we seek to place culture and experience at the heart of the city maybe we should listen to the people of the world, as expressed through the National Gallery poll, and place Joseph Wright of Derby at its core?