Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was an English painter who was famous for his work in portraiture. He was born into a well-educated family, growing up and becoming versed in the classics. He became apprenticed under Thomas Hudson, who was well known for his portraits during this time.
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Joshua Reynolds became partially deaf in his 30’s after a bad cold. He was often seen with an ear trumpet.
Reynolds later developed a style unlike any others of his time, using impasto (the texture of thick paint) and large brush strokes. He studied the works of the old masters, Italian painters, and ancient Greco-Roman sculptors.
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Inspired by Romans, Reynolds based this painting off the famous statue of Apollo Belvedere.
He founded and became the first president of the Royal Art Academy, where he delivered a series of lectures. There he greatly encouraged people to refer back to the classics and works of the old masters. He believed in idealizing the natural world, choosing not to paint things as they are in real life; this would be later called the “grand manner” of painting.
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Grand manner was utilized in history painting, which Reynolds greatly appreciated and claimed to be the greatest form of art. He did not get the chance to do many epic history scenes as his portraits were in greater demand. Reynolds managed to incorporate this style into his portraiture.
What I enjoy about his paintings are that they all have blurred, almost rough-looking backgrounds that contract with the soft, smooth subjects, pulling the eye in. Their somber, pensive looking faces give them an air of dignity.
Sources:
www.britannica.com/biography/Joshua-Reynolds
www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/reynolds-copy-sir-joshua
www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/joshua-reynolds-pra
www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp03755/sir-joshua-reynolds