100. A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery. Joseph Wright of Derby. c. 1763-1765 CE Oil on canvas.

• Form
  • One of a series of candlelight pictures by Wright; inspired by Caravaggio’s use of tenebrism
  • Clearly drawn and sharply delineated portraits of individuals
• Content
  • An orrery is an early form of planetarium, imitating the motion of the solar system
  • The lamp in the center represents the sun; it is blocked by the silhouette of a figure
  • All ages of man are represented by the mixed group of middle-class people in attendance
  • Some curious, some contemplative, some in wonder, some fascinated
  • The philosopher is based loosely on a portrait of Issac Newton; he is demonstrating an eclipse
  • The philosopher stops to clarify a point for the note-taker on the left
• Context
  • Influenced by a provincial group of intellectuals called the Lunar Society, who met once a month to discuss current scientific discoveries and developments
  • To complete the celestial theme, each face painting in an aspect of the phases of the moon
  • Illustrates the eighteenth-century period called the Enlightenment and the democratization of knowledge