In Place of the Sun

Image: A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is Put in Place of the Sun (1766); Creator: Joseph Wright; Source: Electric Light Company

    In the painting above, A Philosopher Giving that Lecture on the Orrery, in which a Lamp is Put in Place of the Sun, done by Joseph Wright, Wright uses characterization and color to convey a theme of reason, the most prominent of the Enlightenment era. The nature of which the color is provided in the painting displays a universally effective method of revolution, which can be applied to both the Enlightenment as well as society today.

    Although a painting, the artist uses many functions of the painted form to display characterization. The structure of the painting presents the characters in a tier-like elevation, characterizing the men in the upper portion of the work as intellectuals, presenting their findings to those lower in the frame. This emphasizes the importance of knowledge in a visual manner, leading to the theme of reason and its importance.

    The use of color in the work serves two purposes. The light source's placement in the middle of the table, in place of the sun, as the title suggests, leaves areas of the painting completely devoid of color. This leads the audience to focus on the table, further emphasizing the importance of intellectuality. The color is also seen as a physical display of the importance of reason, which is the purpose of the painting as a whole. The artist sought to advance the themes of the Enlightenment, using painting as a method of dispersion to the general public. This method of "replacing the sun" is applicable to any large scale change in society, and can be connected to the political movements of today. Physical protests against racism and injustice are modern versions of putting the lamp in place of the sun, with hopes of educating the public on a cause.
 

Comments

  1. Nora BernasheSeptember 28, 2020 at 1:02 PM

    Hey Mike, while reading your post I noticed that you did a great job explaining what the painting you chose meant. You also described the relation to the physical movements in a really good way that makes sense to readers. The way that you elaborate on why it's so important that the artist used color the way he did and how it serves a specific purpose was really interesting. I really enjoyed your post and learned some new facts about enlightenment paintings.

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  2. MelanieOctober 4, 2020 at 12:29 PM

    Hi Mike, I really enjoyed reading your analysis of the painting and thought you did a amazing job of showing how each of the elements that the artist used related back the to theme of reason. I definitely would not have picked up on all those subtle techniques without them being pointed out to me! I also thought it was really interesting how you related the technique of "replacing the sun" to modern political movements; the sun serves to illuminate the day, so it's the perfect tool to being attention to major issues.

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