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A mad scientist and his bird in a bubble: The story behind a peculiar painting

Installation view of Joseph Wright of Derby's An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, in "Science and the Sublime: A Masterpiece by Joseph Wright of Derby." The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens hide caption

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The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Art Where You're At

A mad scientist and his bird in a bubble: The story behind a peculiar painting

March 15, 2022 • The Los Angeles-area Huntington Museum and London's National Gallery are swapping two paintings: Thomas Gainsborough's Blue Boy for Joseph Wright of Derby's An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump.

A mad scientist and his bird in a bubble: The story behind a peculiar painting

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