An Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump 1768

You might have to turn up your brightness for this one… This is ‘An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump’, painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in 1768. It depicts a small audience gathered around a table, watching a scientist create a vacuum in a glass cage. Inside the cage, we can see a white bird. Is the man going to release the bird? Will the creature die? Joseph Wright was an English painter who lived between 1734 and 1797. Born in the industrialising city of Derby in the East Midlands, he often explored themes of manufacturing and science. Through the window on the right-hand side of the canvas, Wright of Derby has included a full moon suspended in a cloudy sky. The nocturnal scene is illuminated only by a single candle, creating a dramatic atmosphere. The candlelight casts theatrical shadows across the faces in the crowd. This is a great example of ‘tenebrism’ – an artistic technique that creates extreme contrasts between light and dark. Every figure has a unique reaction to the unfolding experiment. A young girl behind the table observes with a nervous expression. Beside her, an older girl turns away from the cage, unable to watch. She is comforted by a man in a grey coat, presumably her father. On the opposite side of the canvas, we see a young couple. They pay no attention to the scientist, instead gazing into one another’s eyes. How do you think you would react to the experiment? This painting will take centre stage in the National Gallery for its upcoming exhibition 'Wright of Derby: From the Shadows'. ️