Accession No

1602

Brief Description

print of Joseph Wright painting of orrery, by William Pether, 1768

Origin

Maker

Pether, William

Class

astronomy; demonstration; prints

Earliest Date

1768

Latest Date

1768

Inscription Date

1768

Material

paper; metal (gilt)

Dimensions

framed: height 570mm; width 680mm

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from F.B. Daniell and Son, 32 Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, London W.C., England, in 18/10/1971. Purchased with assistance of a 50% grant from the National Art Collections Fund.

Inscription

‘A PHILOSOPHER GIVING A LECTURE ON THE ORRERY
Joseph Wright Pinxit
J Boydell excudit
Wm. Pether delint. at fecit
From the Original Picture painted by Mr. Joseph Wright; In the Collection of the Right Honourable the Earl of Ferrers
Published May 20th 1768’

Description Notes

Mezzotint intaglio print showing eight figures surrounding an orrery. The scene lit by a lamp placed in the position of the sun. Black and gilt frame. Inscription and crest of the publishers beneath the print itself.

Mounted and framed.

Condition: good; complete.

References

Liba Taub; 'The 'grand' orrery'; Explore Whipple Collections online article; Whipple Museum of the History of Science; University of Cambridge; 2006: https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/explore-whipple-collections/astronomy/grand-orrery

Events