Lost and Found: Wright of Derby's View of Gibraltar

In 1785, the British painter Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797) exhibited a large painting representing his country's defense of the Rock of Gibraltar against Spanish attack in 1782. A specialist in dramatic light effects, Wright hoped his great battle picture would cap his career, and although it was purchased for a substantial sum at the time, it subsequently slipped from view and was considered lost by specialists in the field. In 2001, the Art Centre acquired a painting representing the same subject which has since been the subject of debate: was this picture, now in poor condition, a copy of Wright's lost painting, a work by one of his contemporaries, or in fact Wright's missing masterpiece? This publication presents the results of eight years of research by specialists in conservation, archival and documentary science and demonstrates the painting's authenticity and returns Wright's work into the canon of British 18th century art history. Published with the support of The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and of Alfred and Isabel Bader.