18th century
Hand-painted reproduction after
Joseph Wright of Derby
A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
These sizes keep the painting’s true proportions. Want a different shape? Email us and we’ll adapt it.
Framing never costs more than the painting. Compare rolled, stretched and framed
- Hand-painted
- Photo before it ships
- Free shipping
- 90-day returns
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What people say when it arrives
After you order
What happens next
The painting
A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery
Inside a mechanical model of the solar system, a lamp stands in for the sun, and the shadows it casts are part of the lecturer's demonstration to a small audience. Look at the adult faces: each one matches a phase of the moon, from new to full. Wright painted it without a commission, probably hoping Earl Ferrers would buy it. The earl, who owned an orrery himself, is thought to be the man seated with a youth beside the machine, and he paid £210 for the picture.Joseph Wright of Derby painted this in 1766. A lecturer demonstrates a brass orrery, a working model of the solar system, to a small group at night. A lamp stands in for the sun, hidden behind a boy in the foreground, so every face is lit from the centre of the machine: the children lean in, a man takes notes, another watches in silence. It was one of the first paintings to treat a science lesson with the seriousness of a religious scene. The original is in Derby Museum and Art Gallery.We paint it by hand in oil after you order. You see a photo of the finished canvas and say yes before it is sent.
About the original
- Painted in
- 1766
- Original size
- 147.2 × 203.2 cm (58 × 80 in)
- Where it hangs
- Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Detail
Specification
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Painting size | |
| Framed size | |
| Frame | |
| Orientation | |
| Dominant colour | |
| Arrives | Rolled, ready for local framing |
| Packed | Rolled in a protective tube |
| Turnaround | 3 to 4 weeks, then delivery |
Looking after it
Care and hanging
Before you buy
Questions
How is the finish priced?
The price you see is the painting at the size you chose, in the finish you chose, and it updates as you change either. Rolled arrives in a protective tube, ready for local framing. Stretched arrives on wooden bars, ready to hang. Framed arrives in its frame, ready to hang. Stretched and framed go up to 60 × 90 cm (24 × 36 in); larger paintings travel rolled.
How long does it take?
Painting begins after you order and takes 3 to 4 weeks, including drying and the photo you approve. Delivery then takes 4 to 10 working days to most countries. More on delivery times.
Will it look exactly like the original?
It is painted by a person, so no. Brushwork varies between copies, which is the difference between a painting and a poster.
What if I do not like it?
Ninety days from delivery, full refund.
Can I get A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery in a different size or shape?
Yes. A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery is painted to the size you want, in the original’s proportions, or adapted to another shape on request. Stretched and framed go up to 60 x 90 cm (24 x 36 in). The original measures 147.2 x 203.2 cm (58 x 80 in).
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