Romeo and Juliet, V-3 (c1790). Oil on canvas. 178 x 241. Romeo and Juliet the Tomb Scene is a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby, completed by 1790, exhibited in 1790 and 1791, shown in the Derby Exhibition of 1839 in the Mechanics' Institute, and now displayed in Derby Museum and Art Gallery. The painting exhibits Wright's famed skill with nocturnal and candlelit scenes. It depicts the moment in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet when Juliet, kneeling beside Romeo's body, hears a footstep and draws a dagger to kill herself. The line is Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! The idea for the painting came from Wright in December 1776 when he proposed a painting of Juliet waking in the tomb. The commission was agreed by Alderman John Boydell for his Shakespeare Gallery. However the work was the cause of a major row between them. Wright discovered that Boydell had classified the painters he had commissioned into two classes. Wright had discovered that he was assigned to the second class. He was to be paid 300 pounds for one painting and he was aggrieved to discover that some artists were being paid a thousand pounds. Wright's objection was more to do with the damage to his reputation than for the loss of income. The idea for the painting came from Wright in December 1776 when he proposed a painting of Juliet waking in the tomb. The commission was agreed by Alderman John Boydell for his Shakespeare Gallery. However the work was the cause of a major row between them. Wright discovered that Boydell had classified the painters he had commissioned into two classes. Wright had discovered that he was assigned to the second class. He was to be paid 300 pounds for one painting and he was aggrieved to discover that some artists were being paid a thousand pounds. Wright's objection was more to do with the damage to his reputation than for the loss of income. The painting is 70 inches high and 95 wide and shows Wright's famed skill with nocturnal and candlelit scenes. It depicts the moment in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet at which Juliet, kneeling beside Romeo's body, hears a footstep and draws Romeo's dagger. Juliet's line is Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! and is said just before Juliet kills herself In addition to this painting, Derby Museum also own a preparatory sketch by Wright. On the sketch he proposes the change he made to the painting where he moved the sarcophagus and its niche to the right. Wright was trying to increase the size of the image of the illuminated wall. The gladiatorial figure of Juliet with her outstretched arms attracts the eye and the heroic death of Romeo have been compared to Michelangelo's drawing of Tityus.