WEDNESDAY, MAY the 6th, 1801.
| | | | £ | s. | d. |
| Col. Denby. | | 1 | RUINS—small, unfinished, upright | 0 | 10 | 6 |
| Vernon. | | 2 | A View of the Lakes, Ditto | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jenings. | | 3 | Ditto | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 4 | A View with a Bridge, Ditto | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| in. | 5 | A mountainous Landscape, Ditto | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Rook. | | 6 | A Castle, by Moonlight, in dead Colour | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Marshall. | | 7 | A Fire in a Forest, by Moonlight | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| in. | 8 | A mountainous and woody Landscape, Oval | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Dorset. | | 9 | Ruins of a Roman Temple, by Fire-light | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Heath. | | 10 | A Boy with a Dog | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Denby. | | 11 | A Landscape in the Stile of Artois | 3 | 15 | 0 |
| Maria Wright. | | 12 | A Hilly Landscape, with a slated Barn | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Goulding. | | 13 | A small Mountainous Ditto | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Vernon. | | 14 | A small pleasing View of a Harbour by Moonlight,
and an unfinished Landscape the Companion | 5 | 15 | 6 |
| Jenings. | | 15 | A Lake Scene unfinished | 5 | 10 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 16 | A warm mountainous Landscape, small upright | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Goulding. | | 17 | A View of Carnarvon Castle by Fire and Moonlight, unfinished | 5 | 15 | 6 |
| Vernon. | | 18 | An Italian Landscape with Ruin | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Rawlinson. | | 19 | A Landscape, a Rock Scene | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon. | | 20 | A View of the Ponte Nomentano, near Rome, unfinished | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Heath. | | 21 | The Dead Soldier, unfinished | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| H. Wright. | | 22 | A View of the Lake of Nemi, a warm Evening Scene | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Long. | | 23 | Lady and Beggar Boy, unfinished | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Vernon. | | 24 | The Glass-House, a Sketch: the Fire exceedingly well expressed | 3 | 10 | 0 |
| Shackman. | | 25 | A small View of an Eruption of Mount Vesuvius by Moonlight | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Brown. | | 26 | A Landscape unfinished | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| in. | 27 | View of an Eruption of Mount Vesuvius by Moonlight,
with a View of the Bay of Naples | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Tate, in. | | 28 | A Landscape, and Figures with a tilted Cart; a View of Matlock High Tor in the
Distance—very rich and glowing Effect | 51 | 9 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 29 | Portrait of a Beggarman | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mr. Cade, in. | | 30 | A Landscape with a Monumental Ruin by Moonlight | 14 | 3 | 6 |
| Tate. | | 31 | A Landscape, Sun-set | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Mr. Cade, in. | | 32 | A pleasing View of a Lake by Moonlight | 9 | 19 | 6 |
| Goulding. | | 33 | An Italian, rocky Landscape and Figures | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 34 | An Eruption of Vesuvius by Moonlight, viewed through
the Fog—singularly fine Effect | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Heath. | | 35 | A View on the Lakes in Westmoreland | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Maria Wright, in. | | 36 | A Ditto | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Rawlinson. | | 37 | Virgil’s Tomb—a pleasing, high finished picture | 17 | 6 | 6 |
| Mr. Cade, in. | | 38 | A mountainous and woody Landscape,
a View in the Neighbourhood of Matlock | 20 | 9 | 6 |
| Jennings. | | 39 | A small Italian Landscape, after Wilson | 21 | 10 | 6 |
| Jo. Wright, in. | | 40 | A Boy and Girl with a Blown Bladder:
the Countenances full of lively Expression,
and the Whole delicately and highly finished | 40 | 19 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 41 | A Landscape viewed through a Cavern by Moonlight | 26 | 5 | 0 |
| Sters. | | 42 | A View of Ulleswater Lake and Skiddaw | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Vernon. | | 43 | An upright View in the Convent of the Latomie at Syracuse | 16 | 5 | 6 |
| H. Wright. | | 44 | A Rocky Landscape, with a River by Moonlight | 47 | 5 | 0 |
| Smith, M.P. | | 45 | A Mountainous Landscape in the Neighbourhood of the Lakes | 9 | 19 | 6 |
| Tate, in. | | 46 | A Landscape with a Rainbow, View near Chesterfield in Derbyshire | 59 | 17 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 47 | The Cascade of Terni, near Tivoli | 40 | 19 | 0 |
| Poole & Tate. | | 48 | A Pair of elegant Views of the Lake of Albano, with the Castel Gandolfo, and the
companion the Lake of Nemi | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| in. | 49 | Sterne’s Maria, an elegant Figure delicately painted | 38 | 17 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 50 | A Landscape, View of the Lake of Albano, a beautiful warm Scene | 53 | 11 | 0 |
| in. | 51 | Romeo and Juliet in the Sepulchre, a spirited Composition; the Interest considerably
heightened by the Shadow of Figures approaching the Tomb, capital | 47 | 5 | 0 |
| Tate. | | 52 | View of a Cottage in Needwood Forest | 63 | 0 | 0 |
| in. | 53 | William and Margaret, from the popular Ballad, capital | 39 | 18 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 54 | The Colosseo at Rome with Figures, a highly finished View of this grand and interesting
Monument of Antiquity | 74 | 11 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 55 | A View of Ditto by Moonlight, with a Figure of a Friar at his evening Devotion to
the Virgin | 85 | 1 | 0 |
| in. | 56 | A philosopher in his Study by Lamplight—a highly
finished and brilliant coloured Picture | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| Carr for Arkwright. | | 57 | A large and romantic View of the Head of Ullswater Lake from Lyson’s Tower in
Graystoc Park, the Seat of the Duke of Norfolk | 315 | 0 | 0 |
| in. | 58 | The Allegory of the Old Man and Death in a picturesque Landscape, a River Scene
with Gothic Ruins—a very correct Knowledge of Anatomy is displayed in the Figure
of Death; the Alarm of the old Peasant is finely expressed, and the Lights throughout
the Picture are uncommonly brilliant | 51 | 9 | 0 |
| in. | 59 | Lusignan in prison—The interior finely illumined, capital | 60 | 18 | 0 |
| Smith for Wakefield. | | 60 | A small Prison Scene, with a single Figure | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 61 | A Ditto | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| in. | 62 | The Alchymist in his Elaboratory with Assistants. This admirable Performance presents
a happy Display of the Artist’s Talents. The Effect of Light issuing from the
Sand-heat, and reflected from the Retort and surrounding Implements is contrived with
surprising Effect, amounting to perfect Illusion—truly capital | 80 | 17 | 0 |
| Borrow. | | 63 | The Hermit, companion to the preceding, capital | 70 | 17 | 0 |
| Borrow. | 64 | | THE INDIAN WIDOW. This elegant painting is replete with poetical Beauties: the
Contest of the Day is over, but the War is still waged among the Elements, and a
Volcano on the Right adds to the Turbulence of the Scene. The Apathy of excessive
Grief is conspicuous in the distressed Female, who is thus admirably contrasted with
the agitated Objects of the Back Ground | 73 | 10 | 0 |
| in. | 65 | A grand ERUPTION of VESUVIUS, seen across the Bay by Moonlight—
This magnificent Scene so often attempted by the Pencils of various Masters,
has surely, never been expressed with more Grandeur than in this Effort of Mr.
Wright—the Effect is awful beyond Description—Earth, Air and Water appear as but
one Element. It is thus that real Genius can manage Nature at its Will; and the
Artist who transfers her to the Canvas with so much Truth, kindles a Light, which
will ever be reflected with Lustre upon his own Name | 304 | 10 | 0 |
| | | | £2075 | 3 | 0 |
FINIS.
J. Smeeton, Printer, 148, St. Martin’s Lane.
Mr. J. Holland, of Ford Hall, one of Wright’s executors, attended the sale at Christie’s, and on his return wrote the following quaint letter to Dr. Wright, the artist’s brother:—
“Ford, Augt 11th 1801.
“Dear Sir,
“On the 14th July & at 4 o’clock in the morning, Mrs. Holland and myself passed through Derby on our return from full ten weeks busling in noisy London. While the chaise was preparing at Derby, I could not forbear viewing the outside of your habitation, and wishing that the hour had been more seasonable that I might have seen how you all would have admired the Country Squire returned, and that you in your turn might have had an opportunity to have discovered the vast improvements I had made in Town manners, &c., &c. I had also with me your Brother’s drawings from Michael Angelo, which I wanted much to have left with you. They are, however, very safe here. I was not able to forward the disposal of them, tho’ I showed them to several artists, who commended them very highly. They were all of opinion that they should have been sold with the pictures. Do you remember Dr. Bates, who many years ago lived in your Town, and removed from thence to Aylesbury. Having been a long time in Rome, he knew the subjects perfectly, and thought them very fine studies. I want much to come to Derby, but cannot say when at present. I have very fine impressions both of Sir Richd. Arkwright and the ‘Tempest,’ which I trust to convey to those they are intended for in due time. I can say with my whole heart, that there was not a landscape in the Exhibition that could be compared to what used to be the production of your Brother’s pencil. But this I thought ill-manners to advance in London. The artists, indeed, I must say, whom I conversed with, were by no means niggardly in their commendations of Mr. Wright’s works. There were at the Exhibition some fine coloured drawings, particularly by Turner, who appears to be a very rising genius. Sir W. Beechy, Hopner, & Lawrence seem all three pretty near an equality. I shall leave all my rare anecdotes till I meet the worthy circle, and then you shall be told the wonders & no wonders that occurred to the Derbyshire man’s visit to London after 33 years’ absence. My kind regards and wishes to you and yours, and also at Spondon. The accounts, &c., shall come, when the bearer will be yours sincerely,
“J. HOLLAND.”
It will be noticed that the pictures were nearly all bought by private persons, and not by dealers; also that several pictures were “bought in” at the sale at Christie’s in 1801, which were afterwards sold in Derby, in 1810, at considerably enhanced prices. The following is a copy of the catalogue, the original being in the Mayer Collection:—