Renowned art historian David Solkin will show how Joseph Wright of Derby constructed conflicting messages out of an eclectic mix of elements drawn from different pictorial traditions in “An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” during an in-person lecture Wednesday, March 9, at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.
Solkin will ask the audience to consider the artwork’s relevance today.
“An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump” is a 1768 oil-on-canvas painting by Joseph Wright, one of a number of candle lit scenes that Wright painted during the 1760s.
When the painting made its public debut in 1768, visitors to the Society of Artists exhibition in London were given the novel opportunity to confront a dramatic glimpse of their own world depicted on the scale of life. Enlightened, affluent, and emphatically contemporary, the genteel company surrounding Wright’s scientific lecturer embodied the virtues of sociability and sensibility – qualities that a host of 18th-century commentators proudly hailed as the crowning glories of a modern commercial society.
At this event at The Huntington, proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. By attending this event, you attest and agree to provide proof of full vaccination. Masks are required indoors, and recommended outdoors, in accordance with Los Angeles County’s current COVID-19 safety protocols.
The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. Attendance is free but registration is required. To register, visit www.huntington.org/events/conversation-with-ourselves?sd=1646883000&ed=1646888400.
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino.
