Joshua Reynolds

Joshua Reynolds was English portrait painter who dominated English artistic life in the middle and late 18th century. His art, frequently based on the Old Masters or antique sculpture, were intended to raise classical standards. His rich colour, strong lighting and free handling of paint greatly influenced the generation of Thomas Lawrence and Henry Raeburn. His history and fancy pictures explored dramatic and emotional themes that became increasingly popular with both artists and collectors in the Romantic period. As first president of the Royal Academy in London, he did more than anyone to raise the status of art and artists in Britain. Unfortunately, Reynolds' technique was not always entirely sound, and many of his paintings have suffered as a result.

Reynolds was never a mere society painter or flatterer. It has been suggested that his deafness gave him a clearer insight into the character of his sitters, the lack of one faculty sharpening the use of his eyes.