Reception
The scientific subjects of Wright's paintings from this time were meant to appeal to the wealthy scientific circles in which he moved. While never a member himself, he had strong connections with the Lunar Society, a group of prominent industrialists, scientists and intellectuals who met regularly in Birmingham between 1765 and 1813: he was friends with members John Whitehurst and Erasmus Darwin, as well as Josiah Wedgwood, who later commissioned paintings from him.[24] The inclusion of the moon in the painting was a nod to their monthly meetings, which were held when the moon was full. Like The Orrery, Wright apparently painted Air Pump without a commission, and the picture was purchased by Dr Benjamin Bates, who already owned Wright's Gladiator. An Aylesbury physician, patron of the arts and hedonist, Bates was a diehard member of the Hellfire Club who, despite his excesses, lived to be over 90. Wright's account book shows a number of prices for the painting: Pd£200 is shown in one place and £210 in another, but Wright had written to Bates asking for £130, stating that the low price "might much injure me in the future sale of my pictures, and when I send you a receipt for the money I shall acknowledge a greater sum."[25] Whether Bates ever paid the full amount is not recorded; Wright only notes in his account book that he received £30 in part payment.[26] Wright exhibited the painting at the Society of Artists exhibition in 1763 and it was re-exhibited before Christian VII of Denmark in September the same year. Viewers remarked that it was "clever and vigorous", while Gustave Flaubert, who saw it on a visit to England, remarked on its "naiveté et profondeur".[17] It was popular enough that a mezzotint was engraved from it by Valentine Green and published on 24 June 1769.[26] 20th century art historian Ellis Waterhouse called it "one of the wholly original masterpieces of British art".[17]
From Bates, the picture passed to Walter Tyrell; another member of the Tyrell family, Edward, presented it to the National Gallery, London in 1863.[27] The painting was transferred to the Tate Gallery in 1929 (although it was actually on loan to Derby Museum and Art Gallery between 1912 and 1947). It was lent out for exhibitions to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1976 and to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Stockholm between 1979 and 1980. It was reclaimed by London's National Gallery in 1986.[17]
The striking scene has been used as the cover illustration for many books on topics both artistic and scientific. It has even spawned pastiches: the book cover of The Science of Discworld, by Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen, is a tribute to the painting by artist Paul Kidby, who substitutes the book's protagonists for Wright's figures. Shelagh Stephenson's play An Experiment with an Air Pump, inspired by the painting, was the joint winner of the 1997 Margaret Ramsay Award and had its premiere at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in 1998
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