Miravan Breaking Open the Tomb of his Ancestors is a painting by Joseph Wright of Derby originally completed in 1772 .

[2] The story of Miravan as explained by Joseph Wright comes from John Gilbert Cooper's Letters Concerning Taste which was published in 1755.

Joseph Wright was known for his studies under unusual lighting; this painting combines this characteristic with a style that has been called Neo-Gothic which Wright also used in his painting A Philosopher by Lamplight, also known as Democritus studying anatomy.

[5] In this case the view is lit by a single oil light supplemented by moonlight.

[6] It came into the possession of Derby Museum and Art Gallery in 1935 after being acquired from private ownership thanks to UK National funding.