Portrait of a Gentleman c. 1770 - 1773

Joseph Wright of Derby, painted this ‘Portrait of a Gentleman’, sometime in the 1700s. This portrait encapsulates the identity of the 18th-century British elite. The gentleman's attire, his posture, and the romanticized landscape, all speak to a life of privilege and leisure. But it's worth considering who is missing from this picture. Where are the laborers who toiled to create the wealth that afforded this man such a life? How does the painting serve to legitimize a particular social hierarchy? Wright, though celebrated, was also complicit in perpetuating certain power structures through his art. The man’s gaze, averted and thoughtful, invites us to consider the weight of his position within the broader societal landscape. While the painting celebrates his individuality, it also subtly reminds us of the systemic inequalities of the time.