Becoming an Artist: 260 years of The Orrery
Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby, DE1 1BS
Saturday 18th April 2026
Being an artist is one thing: becoming a successful one something else entirely.
This April, the twenty-first, marks 260th anniversary of the public unveiling of Joseph Wright’s A Philosopher giving a lecture on the Orrery, as part of the annual exhibition in London of the Society of Artists. It undoubtedly raised Wright’s artist career to another level.
Bob Moulder’s recent graphic novel tells a story of how this painting – so pivotal to Wright’s career – might have come about, and in this talk he will look at the similarities and differences he found in the struggles faced by an 18th century artist like Wright to achieve a sustainable career, compared to artists - like himself - of recent times, as well as those in the future.
Bob Moulder is an illustrator and in a 40 year career has worked on around 300 publications. He studied Fine Art in Belfast but turned to illustration initially as a wannabe comic strip artist. In recent years he has returned to that first love, resulting in his recent graphic novel, The Orrery, about Joseph Wright’s famous painting.
Bob moved to Derby in 1997 and for many years was also a PT tutor with the WEA teaching art history.
This April, the twenty-first, marks 260th anniversary of the public unveiling of Joseph Wright’s A Philosopher giving a lecture on the Orrery, as part of the annual exhibition in London of the Society of Artists. It undoubtedly raised Wright’s artist career to another level.
Bob Moulder’s recent graphic novel tells a story of how this painting – so pivotal to Wright’s career – might have come about, and in this talk he will look at the similarities and differences he found in the struggles faced by an 18th century artist like Wright to achieve a sustainable career, compared to artists - like himself - of recent times, as well as those in the future.
Bob Moulder is an illustrator and in a 40 year career has worked on around 300 publications. He studied Fine Art in Belfast but turned to illustration initially as a wannabe comic strip artist. In recent years he has returned to that first love, resulting in his recent graphic novel, The Orrery, about Joseph Wright’s famous painting.
Bob moved to Derby in 1997 and for many years was also a PT tutor with the WEA teaching art history.
