Sublime Light

During the 17th and 18th centuries, Europe saw a flourishing of philosophy and science. Artists responded to this ‘Age of Enlightenment’, addressing new scientific and technological subjects. However, later artists would reject this movement’s rational ideals to instead emphasise the role of emotions in understanding the world.

Joseph Wright of Derby (1734–1797) was influenced by his encounters with British industrialists at the forefront of technological progress. He treated scenes of ordinary human life and the natural world in the same grand and dramatic style. His compositions are structured around strong contrasting effects of light and dark. Mount Vesuvius, which erupted several times throughout the 18th century, gripped his imagination. Although he never witnessed the volcano in Italy erupt himself, he returned repeatedly to the subject.

Enlightenment thinkers promoted reason and order as ideals. In the late 18th and into the 19th century, artists in Europe and North America began to challenge these values and in their place expressed humankind’s connection to nature. John Martin (1789–1854) was one such artist. His paintings portray nature’s immense power and unpredictability, aiming to evoke a feeling of the sublime—awe mixed with terror—in the viewer.

在17-18世纪的欧洲，哲学和科学方兴未艾。艺术家对这一“启蒙时代”进行回应，探讨新的科学和技术主题。然而，后来的艺术家逐渐与这一场运动的理性和秩序相背离，转而强调情感在认知世界中的重要作用。

来自英国德比的约瑟夫·赖特（1734—1797）受到位于技术发展前沿的英国工业家们的影响，他以同样宏大与戏剧性的风格描绘普通人的日常生活和自然世界。他的绘画构图围绕强烈的明暗对比展开。18世纪多次爆发的维苏威火山激发了他的想象力。虽然他并没有亲眼目睹这座意大利火山的喷发，但他不断在绘画中复现这一主题。

启蒙思想家推崇理性和秩序，并视之为理想。自18世纪末到19世纪，欧洲和北美的艺术家开始挑战这一价值体系，转而表达人类与自然的关系。约翰·马丁（1789—1854）正是这样一位艺术家。他的作品描绘了大自然的巨大力量和不可预测性，借此在观者心中唤起一种崇高感——恐惧与敬畏交织在一起的情感。