Critics' picks - visual arts

"Joseph Wright of Derby in Liverpool" - This superb exhibition at the Yale Center for British Art showcases the work of one of the greatest painters in England in the second half of the 18th century, but one who is overshadowed today by his more stylish contemporaries Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Not to be missed is "Two Girls Decorating a Cat by Candlelight," a fascinating picture that would be deeply strange even in daylight. Through Aug. 31. 203-432-2800, ycba.yale.edu/index.asp.

"Travels With Isabella, Travel Scrapbooks 1883/2008" - This is Italian artist Luisa Rabbia's attempt to transform Isabella Stewart Gardner's travel scrapbooks into art. As a lyrical experiment, Rabbia's 26-minute video is nothing if not audacious. And even if the work is less than earth-shaking, it is hard not to be impressed by its delicacy. Superimposing her own drawings on 19th-century photos to create the video, Rabbia remains respectful; her touch is light. At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, through Sept. 28. 617-566-1401, gardnermuseum .org.

- Sebastian Smee