A pencil drawing of the wreathed head of Silenus, created by Joseph Wright of Derby at age 11 in 1745, will go on public display for the first time at the Derby Museum and Art Gallery. The drawing, recently rediscovered in a private family collection, is the earliest known work by the artist and is inscribed “Jos Wright 11 Years”. It features in the exhibition *Life on Paper*, which focuses on Wright’s intimate drawings, letters, and sketches, including tender depictions of his baby daughter and a self-portrait acquired through a public appeal in 2022.
The display matters because it offers a rare glimpse into the formative skills of one of Britain’s most celebrated painters, known for dramatic candlelit scenes and scientific imagery. The exhibition complements a major retrospective of Wright’s work opening at the National Gallery in London later this year, but *Life on Paper* provides a more personal, human-scale view of the artist’s life and development. The rediscovery of this juvenile drawing enriches the historical record and deepens public understanding of Wright’s artistic origins.