Virgil's Tomb (Joseph Wright paintings)
| Virgil's Tomb, with the Figure of Silius Italicus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joseph Wright of Derby |
| Year | 1779 (others 1782 and 1785) |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Location | private collection |
Virgil's Tomb is the title of three paintings completed by Joseph Wright of Derby between 1779 and 1785. They are among the fruits of his Italian tour undertaken in 1773-1775. All three depict the ruined structure near Naples that was traditionally identified as the tomb of the Latin epic poet Virgil. The earliest of the three, dated to 1779, includes the figure of Silius Italicus, a slightly later poet known to have been an admirer of Virgil.
Unlike Wright's paintings of candlelit scenes, the views of Virgil's tomb are "flooded with oppressive lunar light" (Nicolson, p. 83). They reflect from a stage of Wright's artistic development when "he held a delicate balance between what actually was there, and what he liked to construct out of what was there" (Nicolson, p. 83).
Bibliography
- Benedict Nicolson, Joseph Wright of Derby: painter of light (1968) vol. 1 pp. 83-85 and passim
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