The Air Pump

Joseph Wright of Derby (after) 1734 - 1797

Summary

A group of people have come together around an air pump to watch an experiment take place. They are shown reacting differently to the experiment as air is pumped out of the chamber and the bird in the glass sphere begins to suffocate. Two young girls in the foreground react with horror, the eldest covering her eyes and turning away. The man behind them, possibly their father, points to the bird as if to instruct the girls to watch the bird, see what is happening and learn something important about nature and the world. On the left of the image is a couple in love who, rather than look at the bird at all, stare into each others' eyes instead. In front of them a boy leans forward with interest to ensure he can see what is about to happen to the bird. The man next to him appears dispassionate and possibly disinterested as he holds out his watch. Perhaps he is simply timing the experiment. The older man on the far right is not watching the experiment but possibly thinking about the wider implications of the experiment instead. The central male figure is a natural philosopher who oversees the experiment. In the shadowy background a young boy pulls on a rope connected to a birdcage above him. He appears to be lowering the cage for the bird to be returned to after the experiment. He could alterntively be raising the birdcage because the cage will no longer be required. The purpose of the object lit up by the candle behind it at the centre of the image .is unknown. It is thought to be a reference to alchemy from which the subject of chemistry evolved. The air pump experiment was intended to demonstrate what air was like. It was a key experiment in the development of the Enlightenment at this time when people wanted to find out more about science to understand the world around them. Knowledge of the air pump experiment was available in a book and could be repeated and recreated by anyone. New scientific ideas spread due to the popularity of various different societies. People were members of all sorts of different groups and eagerly exchanging ideas about the world around them. Artist Joseph Wright of Derby was known for his use of dramatic lighting effects. Valentine Green captured this candlelit effect brilliantly in this mezzotint print produced the year after the original painting. The engraver, Valentine Green was mezzotint engraver to King George III.

Display Label

A Philosopher Shewing an Experiment on the Air Pump 1769 Engraved by Valentine Green 1739-1813 After Joseph Wright of Derby 1734-97 Published by John Boydell 1720-1804 Mezzotint on paper Dr David Lloyd Roberts bequest, 1920. Lloyd Roberts (1835-1920) was the son of a Stockport cotton spinner who became a distinguished gynaecological surgeon at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. He bequeathed over 1000 items to the gallery, including ceramics, glass, paintings, prints, and watercolours. 1920.438