Note 1) Joseph Wright of Derby was a very versatile and famous English 18^th century artist. As noted by Askart.com, when Wright left Bath, England and returned to and settled in Derby, England “Locating himself in this way made him "the first major English painter to build his career outside the capital."

Per Askart.com:

“Known as "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the industrial revolution" (Klingender) and also known for his fascination with the effects of light, Joseph Wright of Derby was an English artist who did landscape, genre and portrait painting. He is credited as being an artist of the Enlightenment because of his choice of subjects for his canvases. Many of his works reflected his interest in scientific experiments and depicted "figure groups in dark interiors illuminated by candles or lamps . . ." (Getty) This method of handling light showed the influence of Rembrandt van Rijn.

He was born in Derby to a family where the father was an attorney and the town clerk. Joseph left Derby in 1751 for London to pursue his interest in art. His teacher was Thomas Hudson (1701-1779), who was also the teacher of Joshua Reynolds, and after completing a course of study, he worked as Hudson's studio assistant for fifteen months. Then he returned to Derby where he established himself as a portrait and landscape painter, known for chiaroscuro or strong contrast of light and dark that was especially evident under artificial light. Titles of some of his paintings suggest his interest in manipulating light and dark such as companion pieces, Dovedale by Sunlight and Dovedale by Moonlight(1785) and Moonlight Landscape, which is in the collection of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. In this work, moonlit sparkling water contrasts with a dark landscape. 

Many of his paintings with industrial themes were linked to his association with industrialists Josiah Wedgwood and Richard Arkwright, owners of pottery and cotton industries. He was also a friend of Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of evolutionist Charles Darwin, and founder of the Lunar Society, which was a discussion group of prominent industrialists between 1765 and 1813. The name derived from their holding their meetings deliberately when there was a full moon because their trips to and from the meeting were safer as there was no street lighting to safeguard against total darkness. Wedgwood and Arkwright were members as were Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

In 1773, he got married and that same year went to Italy, staying until 1775. In Naples, he saw the eruption of Mount Vesuvias, and he was also much fascinated with the fireworks displays he saw in Rome. He used those subjects in many subsequent paintings. Returning from Italy, he settled briefly at Bath doing portrait painting but was not successful in getting commissions, so he returned to Derby and settled there for the rest of his life. Locating himself in this way made him "the first major English painter to build his career outside the capital." Because of his popularity and because he had more leisure time as he got older, he increasingly turned to his love of landscape painting, which showed his fascination with rock formations and atmospherics.

In 1781, he was elected as an Associate at the Royal Academy and three years later was voted into full membership, but he declined the membership and disassociated himself from the Academy because of a perceived slight. However, he did participate in Academy exhibitions between 1783 and 1794. Posthumous exhibitions of his work were held in Derby in 1883, and at the Royal Academy in 1886.

Sources include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Wright_of_Derby with credits to F. D. Klingender quoted in Painting in Britain, 1530 to 1790, by Ellis Waterhouse, p. 285 (Viking Penguin, 1978); Encyclopaedia Britannica Eleventh Edition.

http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=697&page=1”

Note 2) This is a fine Wright portrait of a relatively handsome older woman. His auction prices, make clear that that the presale estimate for this portrait of $25,000-$50,000 is reasonable and readily justifiable.

Title/Subject: Portrait of a lady, possibly Elizabeth Pigot (c. 1726-1766) Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 30.08 in. x 25.12 n. sold for $36,443 on 07/04/2012 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Lucy Stafford, Later Mrs. Wilkinson Signed. Oil on canvas. 29.33 in. x 24.21 in. sold for $19,233 on 10/27/2011 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait of John Whetham (1731-1781), of Kirklington Signed. Oil on canvas. 51.50 in. x 40.12 in. sold for $585,120 on 7/05/2011 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Portrait of Colonel Charles Heathcote (1730-1803) Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 50 in. x 40 in. sold for $962,500 on 01/26/2011 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Portrait Of William Alvey Darwin (1726-1783) Inscribed Oil on canvas. 29.53 in. x 24.41 in. sold for $109,140 on 07/09/2009 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) Inscribed Oil on canvas. 29.53 in. x 24.41 in. sold for $333,100 on 07/09/2009 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Francis Burdett, Three-Quarter-Length. Inscribed. Oil on canvas. 50 in. x 40.04 in. sold for $507,970 on 07/07/2009 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Portrait of Miss Harriet Hope (b.c. 1768), half-length Signature information not available. Oil on canvas. 13.78 in. x 11.73 in. sold for $115,780 on 04/24/2009 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Study Of The Head Of John Stavely, For The Old Man Grieving Over His Ass, From Laurence Sterne's A Sentimental Journey Signed. Oil on paper. 18.74 in. x 14.29 in. sold for $$425,790 on 6/18/2008 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of A Lady Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 30 in. x 25.50 in. sold for $88,480 on 6/06/2007 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of An Officer Signed. Oil on canvas. 26.75 in. x 20 in. sold for $45,438 on 6/06/2007 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Master Thomas Haden Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 25 in. x 30 in. sold for $288,000 on 4/19/2007 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Robert Shore Milnes Signed.

Oil on canvas. 50 in. x 40 in. sold for $7,208,000

on 1/25/2007 at Sotheby’s, NY

Title/Subject: Portrait Of A Lady, Bust-Length, Her Head Turned To The Right, Wearing An Earring Unsigned. Chalk on paper. 15.87 in. x 11.02 in. sold for $304,310 on 06/05/2006 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Hon. Caroline Curzon, Daughter Of The 1st Baron Scarsdale Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 16 7/8 in. x 15 in. sold for $51,932 on 7/08/2004 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: John Heath Of Derby (D.1815), Half Length, In A Blue Coat Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 30 in. x 25 ½ in. sold for $37,305 on 11/25/2003 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Young Girl, Bust Length, In A White Dress Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 16 1/8 in. x 13 1/6 in. sold for $42,000 on 1/23/2004 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 36 in. x 27 ¾ in. sold for $120,000 on 5/26/2000 at Christie’s, NY

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Elizabeth, Mrs John Bostock, In A Blue Dress Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 50 in. x 40 in. sold for $183,300 on 11/15/1996 at Christie’s London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of Hannah Wright (1732-1810), The Artist's Sister Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 28 ¾ in. x 24 in. sold for $41,700 on 11/13/1996 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Portrait Of A Lady Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 29 ½ in. x 2 3/8 in. sold for $52,900 on 4/03/996 at Sotheby’s, London

Title/Subject: Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 20 7/8 in. x 17 ½ in. sold for $36,250 on 4/27/1993 at Phillips, London