english painting

Joshua

Reynolds is,

historically, the

most

о

г

о

important figure in British painting. He wasкborn

с

on July 7,

в

in

1723, at Plympton St. Mauriceе

Devon,

where his father

ш

of the

was headmasterы

н

р

Grammar School and a former Fellow of Balliol:'

е

Ч

this is

worth mentioning

.

because it shows that

Г

.

Reynolds was born and brought up in an educated

Н

и

family at a time when most English painters Wereнhardly more than ill-educated

е

м

tradesmen, Reynolds himself became the close: friend of Dr Johnson, Goldsmith,

и

т

the

Burke, and Garrick, and - it is probably trueеhe did more to raise the status of

т

и

с

artist in England through his learning and personal example than by his actual

р

е

to Hudson in 1740, in London, but in 1743

quality as an artist. He was apprenticedв

и

н

he left his master and returnedуto Devonshire, from 1743-1749 he was in practice

on his own in London and

й

ыDevonshire, before leaving for Italy in 1749. As early as

н

н

Family Group‖ based on a famous Van Dyck at Wilton

1746 he painted the "Eliotе

в

т

shows the fundamental basis of his art - the deliberate use

House and this alreadyс

р

а

of allusion to the Old Masters or Antique sculpture as a classical allusion might

д

у

с

18-century speaker or writer. This appeal to the educated

have beenоused by an

г

й

eye, above and beyond the needs of mere likeness, is the essence of his own style

и

к

с

and the reason for the rise in public esteem for the visual arts which is so marked a

в

о

т

а

feature of his age.

р

а

In 1749 he had the chance to go to Italy with Commodore (later Admiral

С

made a really prolonged study of the Antique, of Raphael and, above, all, of

Michelangelo. Here he learned the intellectual basis of Italian art, and this was

something that scarcely any other British, painter, with the possible exception of

Ramsay, had done up to then, even in Rome itself. In fact, Reynolds's own practice

о

as a portrait painter was more profoundly influenced by the few weeks he spent in

г

о

Venice on his way home in 1752.

к

с

в

He never

е

ceased to exhort his students to master the principles of Grand

ш

Style, and

in fact he

regarded Venetian art,

and

ы

portrait painting, as of less

н

р

importance. In

1753

he set

up

in London,

met

Dr

е

Ч

Johnson, and began rapidly to make a name. He sought

Г

.

.

consciously to marry the Grand Style with the needs of

Н

и

face-painting (and earning a living), and he succeededн

и

е

so well that he was soon employing assistants, althoughм

т

т

in

.the Kneller school was not converted ('Shakespeareе

р

и

poetry, and Kneller in painting, damme!'сas one of them

е

в

observed). Only Ramsay and Cotes were rivals of any significance, but in 1768,

и

н

у

when the Royal Academy was founded, it was obvious that Reynolds was the only

й

ы

possible choice for the President. He was knighted in 1769 and made Doctor of

н

н

е

Civil Law at Oxford (an honour that would have been unthinkable for a painter

в

т

с

only a generation earlier) and Mayor of his native Plympton in 1772. The works of

р

а

the years

д

him at his

most

classical and

most

learned,

following 1768 show

у

с

о

determined to use the Academy as an instrument to forge a British School of

г

и

Historyй painters to stand beside

those of Rome

or Bologna. To this

end he

к

в

and delivered at intervals the fifteen "Discourses" which are the most

composedс

о

а

sensible exposition

of

the Academic position

that, by

well-directed

р

тlucid and

labour, it is possible to learn the Rules of Art and to use the inventions and ideas of

а

С

one's predecessors to create a new style of one's own. During these years Reynolds

о

National Galley, London

г

о

к

с

в

е

The painting shows three daughters of the

ш

ы