About this artwork
Being relatively cheap and widely available, prints reproducing Joseph Wright of Derby’s paintings were largely responsible for establishing his reputation. Valentine Green’s mezzotint captures the drama and exoticism of Wright’s painting of the story of Miravan, a young nobleman who raided the tomb of his ancestor looking for treasure, only to find an inscription rebuking him for his greed and for disturbing the eternal rest of the dead. The rich blacks and bright highlights of the mezzotint technique were ideally suited to the translation of the unusual lamplight that had become one of Wright’s trademarks.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Prints and Drawings
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Artist
- Valentine Green
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Title
- Miravan
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Place
- England (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1772
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Medium
- Mezzotint on off-white laid paper
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Dimensions
- Image: 46 × 35.4 cm (18 1/8 × 13 15/16 in.); Plate: 50.5 × 35.5 cm (19 15/16 × 14 in.); Sheet: 66.9 × 52.5 cm (26 3/8 × 20 11/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Sara R. Shorey Endowment and Dr. William D. and Sara R. Shorey Fund
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Reference Number
- 1990.502
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/116242/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
