Sir Joshua Reynolds

1723–1792

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

Spotlights: Sir Joshua Reynolds: President of the Royal Academy

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In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Rooms

2 artworks by Sir Joshua Reynolds
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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.

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Fancy picture Grand manner

Artworks

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

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Age of Innocence

?1788
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights
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
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
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘The Infant Samuel’ c.1776

Sir Joshua Reynolds The Infant Samuel

c.1776
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
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Doctor Samuel Johnson’ ?1772

Sir Joshua Reynolds Doctor Samuel Johnson

?1772
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights
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
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Lady Bampfylde’ 1776–7

Sir Joshua Reynolds Lady Bampfylde

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

Artist as subject

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

Nathaniel Hone Sketch for ‘The Conjuror’

1775
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
Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Self-Portrait’ c.1775

Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait

c.1775
On display at Tate Britain part of Spotlights
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
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

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

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

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

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

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

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

F. Derwent Wood [title not known]

1916
See all 20

Features

Left Right
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

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

William Blake, ‘The Penance of Jane Shore in St Paul’s Church’ c.1793
Tate Papers

An Alternative National Gallery: Blake’s 1809 Exhibition and the Attack on Evangelical Culture

Susan Matthews

This essay suggests that Blake’s 1809 exhibition was haunted by the memory of the Irish painter James Barry (1741 ...

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

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Arthur Devis, ‘A Lady in Blue’ 1757

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

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

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

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

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

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1726–1770
John Hamilton Mortimer, ‘Sir Arthegal, the Knight of Justice, with Talus, the Iron Man (from Spenser’s ‘Faerie Queene’)’ exhibited 1778

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

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

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William Hogarth, ‘Gin Lane’ 1751

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