Technological Effects on Society
Curated by Austin Krause

Joseph Wright, The Iron Forge, 1772

Joseph Wright of Derby was one of the first artist that I truly took time to study, and he quickly become one of my favorites. Everything about the way he painted the Enlightenment made him stand out in a more unique way. Not only did he paint about the Enlightenment like most artists of his time, but he did not always portray it in a positive way. In most of his paintings, there are two light sources: Religion and Knowledge. In between the two light sources is darkness which seems to compress the light of knowledge while allowing the light from nature/religion to flow freely through it.

When observing his painting The Iron Forge, it can be seen that the new knowledge of his time produces a glow that is beginning to overpower the second light source in the painting, the moon. The moon is what symbolizes religion, through nature. It represents the idea of God creating the earth for what it is and how it is. But without saying that that statement is false, it shows that the effect that technology and knowledge have on society is proving to be the more reasonable way of thinking as people start to realize: “Hey, that sounds like it makes more sense!”