Sir Joshua Reynolds

1723–1792

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘The Age of Innocence’ ?1788
The Age of Innocence ?1788
License this image
In Tate Britain

Spotlights: Sir Joshua Reynolds: President of the Royal Academy

Free entry
In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art

Free entry
In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Rooms

View by Appointment

Biography

Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was a founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and was knighted by George III in 1769. In 2018, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, UK was celebrated.

This biography is from Wikipedia under an Attribution-ShareAlike Creative Commons License. Spotted a problem? Let us know.

Read full Wikipedia entry
Fancy picture Grand manner

Artworks

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘The Age of Innocence’ ?1788

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Age of Innocence

?1788
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N00307
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen’ 1773

Sir Joshua Reynolds Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen

1773
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N00079
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: ‘Angel’s Heads’’ 1786–7

Sir Joshua Reynolds A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: ‘Angel’s Heads’

1786–7
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N00182
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘The Infant Samuel’ c.1776

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Infant Samuel

c.1776
N00162
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers’ 1769

Sir Joshua Reynolds Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers

1769
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights T12033
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Doctor Samuel Johnson’ ?1772

Sir Joshua Reynolds Doctor Samuel Johnson

?1772
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N00887
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Lady Talbot’ exhibited 1782

Sir Joshua Reynolds Lady Talbot

exhibited 1782
On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art N05640
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Lady Bampfylde’ 1776–7

Sir Joshua Reynolds Lady Bampfylde

1776–7
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N03343
See all 45

Artist as subject

Nathaniel Hone, ‘Sketch for ‘The Conjuror’’ 1775

Nathaniel Hone Sketch for ‘The Conjuror’

1775
T00938
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Self-Portrait as a Deaf Man’ c.1775

Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait as a Deaf Man

c.1775
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N04505
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Self-Portrait’ c.1775

Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait

c.1775
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N00306
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Self-Portrait when Young’ 1753–8

Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait when Young

1753–8
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights N00889
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Self-Portrait as a Figure of Horror’ c.1784

Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait as a Figure of Horror

c.1784
View by appointment N01834

John Henry Foley Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.

date not known
N01770
F. Derwent Wood, ‘[title not known]’ 1916

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

1916
N05650
F. Derwent Wood, ‘[title not known]’ 1916

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

1916
N05652
F. Derwent Wood, ‘[title not known]’ 1916

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

1916
N05653
See all 20

Features

Philip Mercier, ‘The Schutz Family and their Friends on a Terrace’ 1725
Art Term

Fancy picture

Fancy picture refers to a type of eighteenth century painting that depict scenes of everyday life but with elements of ...

Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘The Decline of the Carthaginian Empire ...’ exhibited 1817
Art Term

Genres

Genres are types of painting. These were codified in the seventeenth century as (in descending order of importance) history, portrait ...

Sir Thomas Lawrence, ‘Homer Reciting his Poems’ 1790
Art Term

Bitumen

Bitumen is a naturally-occurring, non-drying, tarry substance used in paint mixtures, especially to enrich the appearance of dark tones

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Colonel Acland and Lord Sydney: The Archers’ 1769
Art Term

Grand manner

Grand manner is an English term used widely from the eighteenth century to describe what was considered to be the ...

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen’ 1773
Art Term

Neoclassicism

Neoclassicism was a particularly pure form of classicism that emerged from about 1750

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: ‘Angel’s Heads’’ 1786–7
Art Term

Classicism

The term classicism is used to describe art that makes reference to ancient Greek or Roman style

Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘A Nymph and Cupid: ‘The Snake in the Grass’’ exhibited 1784
Read

A short history of nymphomania

Louise Cohen

As a mischievous new display opens at Tate Britain, we meet the curator to track down the elusive nymph in ...

William Hilton the Younger, ‘Cupid and Nymph’ exhibited 1828
Read

BP Spotlight: Bodies of Nature

Cora Gilroy-Ware

Bodies of (Human) Nature: Nymphs in British Art 1780–1840
Read

The Craze for Pastel: Essay

Ruth Kenny

Ruth Kenny's essay on The Craze for Pastel in conjunction with a 2014 BP Spotlight display at Tate Britain ...
Sir John Everett Millais, Bt, ‘Hearts are Trumps’ 1872
Project

John Everett Millais's Hearts are Trumps 1872

Prior to display at Tate Britain, John Millais’s Hearts are Trumps 1872 underwent major painting and frame conservation

You might like

George Romney, ‘Emma Hart as Circe’ c.1782

George Romney

1734–1802
James Barry, ‘King Lear Weeping over the Dead Body of Cordelia’ 1786–8

James Barry

1741–1806
Arthur Devis, ‘A Lady in Blue’ 1757

Arthur Devis

1711–1787
Ozias Humphry, ‘Baron Nagell’s Running Footman’ c.1795

Ozias Humphry

1742–1810
Johan Zoffany, ‘Colonel Mordaunt’s Cock Match’ c.1784–6

Johan Zoffany

1733–1810
Henry Fuseli, ‘Lady Macbeth Seizing the Daggers’ ?exhibited 1812

Henry Fuseli

1741–1825
Allan Ramsay, ‘Thomas, 2nd Baron Mansel of Margam with his Blackwood Half-Brothers and Sister’ 1742

Allan Ramsay

1713–1784
Benjamin West, ‘Pylades and Orestes Brought as Victims before Iphigenia’ 1766

Benjamin West

1738–1820
Francis Cotes, ‘Portrait of a Lady’ 1768

Francis Cotes

1726–1770
Richard Cosway, ‘A Lady (? Harriet Mellon) as a Sibyl’ c.1805

Richard Cosway

1742–1821
Thomas Gainsborough, ‘Giovanna Baccelli’ exhibited 1782

Thomas Gainsborough

1727–1788
John Hamilton Mortimer, ‘Sir Arthegal, the Knight of Justice, with Talus, the Iron Man (from Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’)’ exhibited 1778

John Hamilton Mortimer

1740–1779
Thomas Hudson, ‘Mrs Sarah Ingram’ c.1750–5

Thomas Hudson

1701–1779
James Northcote, ‘A Young Lady Playing the Harp’ ?exhibited 1814

James Northcote

1746–1831
Francis Hayman, ‘The Wrestling Scene from ‘As You Like It’’ c.1740–2

Francis Hayman

1708–1776

In the shop

Browse the shop