Image: Dr Martin Postle, Art Historian, and Lucy Bamford, Derby Museums’ Senior Curator of Art and the Joseph Wright Collection, look forward to uncovering more about the newly acquired portrait. © Derby Museums / Pictoria Pictures
Derby Museums receives previously unknown portrait of Edward Miller, discovered by a family alongside two other historical works.
A previously unknown portrait by Joseph Wright has been donated to Derby Museums after being discovered by a family in the Scottish Borders.
The painting by the Derby artist was found while the family was sorting through a relative’s belongings last year.
The portrait depicts Edward Miller, a musician and composer who was a friend of Wright’s. It was among what was described as a “treasure trove of antiques” at the home on the Scottish Borders. The painting was identified through an inscription on the reverse reading ‘Wright’.
Joy Hall, who first contacted Derby Museums about the discovery, explained how the family had initially considered selling the Wright painting for the value of its frame before details reminiscent of Wright’s earlier self-portraits held at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, prompted further research.
Two further portraits were gifted alongside the Wright: one of Miller’s granddaughter Ann Miller, and the other her husband, the wealthy Derbyshire lead merchant Joseph Wass.
Hall, whose husband is the five times great grandson of Edward Miller, said: “We are so happy to think that local people will be able to enjoy the paintings. My first tentative telephone call to the museum was answered by a lady whose maiden name was Wass and I knew then that I had found the right home for my husband’s ancestors.”
Derby Museums’ senior curator of art and the Joseph Wright Collection, Lucy Bamford, worked with Dr Martin Postle from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Dr Stephen Leach, an independent researcher, to authenticate the portrait.
The sitter was identified as Dr Edward Miller, a prominent composer who played flute in George Frederic Handel’s orchestra during his youth.
Bamford said:“It was quite the surprise when I opened my emails one morning to find an email from Joy Hall offering us a suspected Wright portrait.
We are thrilled that Miller’s descendant, Susannah Stewart, could join us to unveil the works and give us an insight into the history of the sitters.”
Tony Butler, executive director at Derby Museums, said: “I am absolutely delighted to receive these three portraits into Derby Museums’ collections.
“It was only a couple of weeks ago that we opened our exhibition Joseph Wright: Life on Paper and this is another fantastic moment in our Year of Wright, as we continue to lead the study and promotion of this most influential and versatile of British artists.”
The Edward Miller portrait is now on display in the Joseph Wright Gallery at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, whilst the two Wass portraits will be displayed at the Museum of Making in due course.
