This miracle of Art a Briton wrought,
Painting as boldly as his country fought.”
Extract from a Letter from Buxton Wells, January 3, 1785.
“Governor Elliot’s successful defence of Gibraltar has, among the many essential advantages accruing from it, been productive of some of the noblest works in the Fine Arts, especially among the painters. On stopping at Derby a few days since, I was introduced by a friend to view the productions of that great genius Wright, whose astonishing power of expressing artificial lights on canvas, the world has long been acquainted with. His new picture on the Siege of Gibraltar, for composition, force, brilliancy, and prodigious effect of fire, exceeds, in my opinion, all his former labours. To attempt a description of it would be in vain; whoever sees the picture must have such an idea of the action as no poetry can describe. Mr. Wright has not been in the Exhibition (for reasons I cannot explain) for some time past, but that he will not withhold this sublime piece from general inspection, I most sincerely hope, as the attack on Gibraltar, with some other pieces on interesting subjects, would form an Exhibition in every way worthy of the countenance of the public.”
The “Orrery” picture was exhibited at the Society of Artists’ Rooms, in 1766, so must have been painted when Wright was thirty years old. It was purchased by, and probably painted for, the Earl Ferrers, for the sum of two hundred guineas; fifty pounds of this was paid on account, and the remainder secured by a bond, of which a copy is given on the next page.
The figures in the picture are all portraits, and various persons have been mentioned as the probable originals who were thus honoured. A copy of the print, once belonging to the artist, has certain names written on the margin, with the date 1768, so that the following are identified:—Jos. Wright, with his back towards the spectator, Mr. Burdett taking notes, young Cantrell, Mr. A. Winterman, Mr. G. Snowden, Mrs. Sale, and Mr. Denby as the philosopher.
Mr. Burdett also figures in the “Gladiator” picture. The other boy sitter was a son of Earl Ferrers, as the following extract from the “Stemmata Shirleiana” shows:—“Lawrence Rowland, 2nd Son of Robert 6th Earl of Ferrers, Bap. at St. Alkmund’s Derby, Nov. 3, 1757, d. Feb. 5, 1773. His portrait when very young is preserved in Wright’s celebrated picture of the ‘Orrery,’ well known from the engraving.”
The picture passed from the hands of the Ferrers family, and was sold by Mr. Thos. Rought, of London, to the late Mr. Francis Wright, of Osmaston Manor, by Ashbourne, for the sum of fifty guineas, in 1853. In 1884, at the dispersion of Mr. John Osmaston’s collection, to whom the picture then belonged, it was again in the market, and it is with pleasure that we are able to record that, being purchased by a few of Wright’s admirers, singularly, at the original price of two hundred guineas, it was on September 4th presented to the Derby Corporation Art Gallery as a memorial to the painter, where it will remain as a fitting record of the admirable powers he possessed, and be admired by his fellow-townsmen in years to come.
The bond mentioned above was as follows:—