Dr. Richard Wright 

This is a portrait of Dr. Richard Wright, made by Joseph Wright of Derby, and it’s oil on canvas, of course. Notice how the brushwork seems blended and even, almost like a glaze? That’s typical of its time. But Wright does something interesting here. He gives us the texture of Dr. Wright's clothing: the soft nap of his jacket, the subtle sheen of his waistcoat, and the controlled, almost imperceptible movements of the brush. This suggests the tactile qualities of the fabrics, which reflect the growing textile industry of the era, especially in the Midlands where Wright worked. The subdued palette emphasizes material rather than spectacle. It reminds us that portraits like this were a commodity, consumed by a rising middle class, reflecting a society increasingly aware of the subtleties of materials and the labor that produced them. It invites us to see portraiture not just as a record of likeness, but as an artifact deeply embedded in its economic moment.