Sir Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joshua Reynolds prints bring the elegance and character of Georgian England's greatest portraitist into your home. Reynolds was the leading portrait painter of the 18th century, the founder and first president of the Royal Academy, and the champion of the "Grand Style". Our collection of fine art prints covers his portraits of aristocrats, children, actresses and soldiers, his allegories and his sketches.

About Sir Joshua Reynolds

Joshua Reynolds was born in Plympton, Devon, on 16 July 1723, the son of the master of the local grammar school. In 1740 he was apprenticed to the London portraitist Thomas Hudson, also from Devon, whose collection of old master drawings he copied, but he left in 1743 and worked as a portrait painter in Plymouth Dock.

He then travelled to Italy, spending two years in Rome studying the old masters and acquiring a taste for the Grand Style. A severe cold there left him partly deaf, and he carried an ear trumpet for the rest of his life. Back in London he became the most sought-after portraitist of his day, running a busy studio that produced more than 2,000 paintings.

He was a founder and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and in 1769 he was knighted by George III. He painted the great families of Britain, actors, writers and military heroes, as well as children and allegorical subjects. He died in London on 23 February 1792.

Style and Subjects

Reynolds believed in idealising his sitters, raising portraiture toward the dignity of history painting by borrowing poses and settings from the old masters and classical art. His women appear as goddesses or muses, his soldiers as heroes, set against dramatic skies and landscapes.

His paintings of children, playful and tender, were especially loved. His brushwork is rich and free, and his colour warm.

Famous Works

• David Garrick between Tragedy and Comedy (1761), National Trust. The actor torn between two muses.
• Lady Elizabeth Delmé and Her Children (1777), National Gallery of Art, Washington. A mother and children in a grand landscape.
• Lady Caroline Howard (1778), National Gallery of Art, Washington. A little girl in a garden picking a rose.
• The Ladies Waldegrave (1780), National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh. Three aristocratic sisters at their needlework.
• Captain George K. H. Coussmaker (1782), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A young officer leaning against a tree beside his horse.
• Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse (1784), Huntington Library, San Marino. The great actress enthroned as a muse, called by Lawrence the finest female portrait in the world.
• The Age of Innocence (1788), Tate, London. A little girl sitting in a landscape, one of his best-loved images.
• Portrait of Omai. The Polynesian visitor to London, often called his greatest work.

Decorating with Reynolds Prints

Reynolds's portraits suit traditional rooms: a dining room, library or entrance hall with dark wood, gilt and rich fabrics. A full-length portrait like Captain Coussmaker makes a grand focal point.

His child portraits, such as Lady Caroline Howard or Miss Nelly O'Brien, bring charm to a sitting room or bedroom, and his allegories suit a study.

FAQ

Who was Sir Joshua Reynolds?

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) was the leading English portrait painter of the 18th century and the founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts.

What is the Grand Style?

The Grand Style was Reynolds's ideal of raising painting through idealisation, drawing on classical art and the old masters rather than copying nature's imperfections.

What is Reynolds's most famous painting?

The Portrait of Omai, Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse, The Age of Innocence and The Marlborough Family are among his most celebrated works.

Where can I see Reynolds's paintings?

Tate and the National Gallery in London, the Royal Academy, the National Trust, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Huntington and the National Gallery of Art in Washington hold his work.

Related Artists

• Thomas Gainsborough: fellow great English portraitist of the age
• George Romney: fellow fashionable London portraitist
• Thomas Hudson: his master in London
• Sir Thomas Lawrence: leading portraitist of the next generation, who admired his work
• Angelica Kauffman: leading portraitist working in London in the same years