Wright’s A Philosopher Giving A Lecture at the Orrery is a remarkable example of Enlightenment art in characteristic subject matter, the idea of fact, and an idea of knowledge, instead of blind trust. Wright paints the scene as if we are viewing the works by candlelight, the use of contrast creates this impression of movement from the light. The demonstration of shadow creates depiction of a wonder that was previously reserved for religious events but the idea of fact, not superstition was a key characteristic of this time. Wright’s scene depicts a lecturer giving a demonstration of an orrery to a small audience. This subject of proving knowledge and then sharing it, a key idea of the Age of Enlightenment, that empirical observation grounded
