Marcus Chen
Sir Joshua Reynolds was an English painter and one of the most influential portraitists of the 18th century. His works have been described as the eulogium of Apelles pronounced by Pericles. Reynolds was the founding president of the Royal Academy of Arts and played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of British art. His paintings are highly sought-after, with some available at auction houses like Sotheby's, Christie's, and Heritage Auctions. So, what is the monetary value of one of his paintings today?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Plympton, Devon, England |
| Born | 16 July 1723 |
| Died | 23 February 1792 |
| Known for | Portraits |
| Art movement | Classicism, Renaissance |
| Title | Founding president of the Royal Academy of Arts |
| Art style | Grand Style, Grand Manner |
| Art focus | Light, colour, composition |
| Notable portraits | Portrait of Lady Frances Marsham, Portrait of Emilia Vansittart, Portrait of Lady Gertrude Fitzpatrick, Portrait of Charlotte Grote |
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What You'll Learn
Sir Joshua Reynolds' influence and legacy
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. He was the founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts and was knighted by King George III in 1769. With over 2,000 paintings produced during his lifetime, he is considered one of the major European painters of the 18th century and has been referred to as the "master who revolutionised British Art".
Reynolds was born in Plympton, Devon, as the third son of the Reverend Samuel Reynolds. He displayed a passion for the fine arts from a young age, and his sister Mary Palmer's fondness for drawing also influenced him as a boy. In 1740, Reynolds was apprenticed for four years in London to Thomas Hudson, a successful portraitist. During this time, he also began to study the works of the old masters and developed an independent style characterised by bold brushwork and the use of impasto, as seen in his portrait of Captain the Honourable John Hamilton (1746).
In 1746, Reynolds returned to Devon and painted a large group portrait of the Eliot family, which shows the influence of the Flemish Baroque painter Sir Anthony Van Dyck. After this, Reynolds travelled to the Mediterranean to study ancient Greco-Roman sculpture and Renaissance painting. In Rome, he devoted himself to studying the great masterpieces, and the impressions from this visit inspired his paintings and Discourses for the rest of his life. On his return journey, he became absorbed by the compositions and colours of the great Renaissance Venetian painters of the 16th century, including Titian, Jacopo Tintoretto, and Paolo Veronese. The emphasis on colour and the effect of light and shading in the Venetian tradition had a lasting influence on Reynolds' work.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Reynolds was known for his amiable and generous personality. He was a friendly host and a skilled conversationalist, with a strong sense of humour. He was also a mentor to many aspiring artists, delivering yearly Discourses at the academy that offered advice and insights into his own artistic thoughts and aspirations.
Overall, Sir Joshua Reynolds' influence and legacy are significant in the history of British art. He transformed British painting with his portraits and subject pictures that engaged the audience's knowledge, imagination, memory, and emotions. His works and teachings continue to inspire and shape artistic endeavours even today.
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Reynolds' personal life and connections
Sir Joshua Reynolds was born on 16 July 1723 in Plympton, Devon, England. He was the seventh child of Reverend Samuel Reynolds, master of the Plympton Free Grammar School, and Theophilia (nee Potter). Reynolds received a solid education from his father, which included Latin. He also read widely from his father's library, including books such as Jacob Cats' "Book of Emblems" and Jonathan Richardson's "An Essay on the Theory of Painting". One of his sisters, Mary Palmer, was seven years his senior and an author. She provided half of the premium paid for Reynolds' pupillage under Thomas Hudson, a portrait painter. Reynolds also had a close relationship with his sister Frances, who lived with him as his housekeeper.
Reynolds became a prominent figure in the intellectual life of London and was known for his amiable and original conversational skills. He counted many of the finest British authors of the 18th century among his closest friends, including Dr Samuel Johnson, whom he painted five times. Other friends included John Parker, who became the 1st Baron Boringdon, and the Mudge family, including Zachariah Mudge, who influenced Reynolds' philosophy.
Reynolds was also connected to several notable families through his work as a portrait painter. He painted portraits of Lady Cockburn with her three infant sons, General George Augustus Eliott (later Lord Heathfield), and Banastre Tarleton, an MP for Liverpool who defended the slave trade. He also painted George Grenville, Marquess of Buckingham, and his family, which included an enslaved servant.
Despite his success and influence, Reynolds never married and had no children. He died on 23 February 1792 in London, with his death attributed to chronic liver failure.
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The value of Reynolds' paintings today
Sir Joshua Reynolds was an influential 18th-century painter, specialising in portraits of wealthy and important people. He founded the Royal Academy of Arts, becoming its first president in 1768, and was knighted in 1769. Reynolds was a close friend of the philosopher Edmund Burke, who eulogised him upon his death in 1792, stating that Reynolds was:
> "...on very many accounts one of the most memorable men of his Time. He was the first Englishman who added the praise of the elegant Arts to the other Glories of his Country. In Taste, in grace, in facility, in happy invention, and in the richness and Harmony of colouring, he was equal to the great masters of the renowned Ages."
Reynolds was prolific, producing over 2,000 paintings in his lifetime, and his works remain highly sought-after today. In 2024, Heritage Auctions offered a rare 18th-century etching by Reynolds titled 'Young Lady Fitzpatrick as Sylvia' for sale. The piece was a portrait of Lady Gertrude Fitzpatrick, engraved by London artist John Jones.
In addition, Reynolds' full-length portrait of Commodore Augustus Keppel, where he poses as the Apollo Belvedere, is cited as an example of his mastery. This work solidified his standing as one of the leading portraitists of his time, and he soon became the most sought-after portraitist in England.
Reynolds' works are valued for their mastery of light, colour, and composition, which elevated portraiture to the level of history painting, considered the highest form of art during his time. His oeuvre manifests the ideals of civic humanism, the public, and the social role of art.
Today, Reynolds' paintings are prized by collectors and institutions alike, with auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's regularly offering his works for sale. While the selling prices of these paintings are not always disclosed, the demand for Reynolds' art remains high, reflecting his enduring legacy and influence on British art.
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The subject matter of Reynolds' work
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was an English painter who specialised in portraits. He was a founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts and was knighted by King George III in 1769.
Reynolds was recognised for his portraits of wealthy and important people, including royalty, naval officers, and politicians. He also painted portraits of children, emphasising their innocence and natural grace. His 1788 portrait, "Age of Innocence", is his best-known character study of a child. The subject of the painting is not known, but suggestions include his great-niece, Theophila Gwatkin, and Lady Anne Spencer, the youngest daughter of the 4th Duke of Marlborough.
In addition to his portraits, Reynolds included historical pieces in his exhibitions, such as "Ugolino" (1773), which were perhaps his least successful works. Many of his child studies are tender and even amusing, though occasionally the sentiment tends to be excessive. Two of his most enchanting child portraits are "Master Crewe as Henry VIII" (1775-76) and "Lady Caroline Scott as 'Winter'" (1778). His most ambitious portrait commission was "The Family of the Duke of Marlborough" (1777).
Reynolds' early London portraits introduced a new vigour into English portraiture. After 1760, with the increasing vogue for Greco-Roman antiquity, his style became increasingly classical and self-conscious. He adapted the poses of his subjects from the works of earlier artists, and the clothing of his sitters took on a more rigidly antique pattern.
Overall, Reynolds' work transformed British painting, with portraits and subject pictures that engaged their audience's knowledge, imagination, memory, and emotions.
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Critical reception of Reynolds' work
Sir Joshua Reynolds was an English painter who specialised in portraits and dominated English artistic life in the mid to late 18th century. He was prolific, producing over 2,000 paintings during his lifetime, and was the first President of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Reynolds promoted the "Grand Style" in painting, which depended on the idealisation of the imperfect. He was influenced by his time in Italy, where he learned about the compositional, chiaroscuro, and colouring technicalities employed by the great masters.
The art critic John Russell called Reynolds one of the major European painters of the 18th century, while Lucy Peltz described him as "the leading portrait artist of the 18th century and arguably one of the greatest artists in the history of art".
In his Discourses, a series of lectures delivered at the Royal Academy between 1769 and 1790, Reynolds expressed the opinion that:
> invention, strictly speaking, is little more than a new combination of those images which have been previously gathered and deposited in the memory.
William Jackson, in his contemporary essays, praised Reynolds' academic discourses, stating that they were "replete with classical knowledge of his art, acute remarks on the works of others, and general taste and discernment".
However, Reynolds' work did receive some negative criticism. Some found his portraits to be too formulaic, sloppy, and academic, typical of the Mannerist tradition. Dr Johnson, for example, took issue with Reynolds' portrayal of him in one of his works, remarking:
> It is not friendly to hand down to posterity the imperfections of any person.
Despite this, Reynolds' work has endured, and he is remembered as a significant figure in the history of British art.
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Frequently asked questions
Sir Joshua Reynolds produced over 2,000 paintings during his lifetime.
The value of Sir Joshua Reynolds' paintings varies depending on the piece. Some of the technical aspects of his paintings were not sound, causing them to fade and crumble over time. Reynolds' paintings can be purchased at auction houses such as Sotheby's, Christies, and Heritage Auctions.
Some of Sir Joshua Reynolds' most notable paintings include the following:
- Portrait of Lady Frances Marsham, later Countess of Romney (1755-1795)
- Portrait of Emilia Vansittart (1778-1791)
- Portrait of Field Marshal Charles Moore, 6th Earl and 1st Marquess of Drogheda (1730-1822)
- Portrait of Montagu Edmund Parker (1737–1813)
- Portrait of Augustus Keppel, where he poses as the Apollo Belvedere
- A Child's Portrait in Different Views: Angel's Heads (1786-7)
Sir Joshua Reynolds is considered one of the most influential portraitists of the 18th century and one of the greatest artists in history. He was a founder and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, shaping the development of British art. He promoted the "Grand Style" or "Grand Manner," an idealised aesthetic style derived from classicism and High Renaissance art. Reynolds was also an active writer, delivering lectures at the Royal Academy that emphasised the importance of studying classical art and developing a personal style.
