Joshua Reynolds
Joshua Reynolds was an English portrait artist who lived from 1723 to 1792. He worked in the “Grand Style” in which modern pieces were painted in a classical and idealized manner.
Reynolds early training was paid for by his aunt who saw his fondness for art. She got him an apprenticeship under Thomas Hudson, a well-known portrait artist of his day. After three years with Hudson, Reynolds pursued portrait painting in his own business. In 1749, Reynolds traveled to the Mediterranean for a few years where he was first exposed to Classical art and developed a fondness for the Grand Style. It was on this trip that Reynolds also became partially deaf in one ear, and for the rest of his life carried an ear trumpet to help him hear.
After moving back home, Reynolds soon set up a shop in London where he did extremely well. He was soon able to upgrade to a larger house and studio and was able to hire artists to help him with his commissions as at this time, he was painting over 100 pieces a year (his students would paint drapery in the background or the clothes of his sitters). Joshua Reynolds was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Art and from 1768 until his death, served as its first President. A huge literary fan, Reynolds enjoyed studying up on art theories from the Italian masters to modern artists of his day. He is best known for his large-scale portraits which won him the position of Royal Artist for the court in 1784 as well as a knighthood in 1769 by George III.
In his later life, Reynolds had a tumor above his left eye that caused him to lose his sight in that eye and gave him extreme pain, which forced him to retire from art. During this, Reynolds became depressed and stayed away from the social interactions that he really loved. In 1792, he died at 68 years old. His autopsy revealed that his liver was also enlarged and diseased.
On an interesting note, Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough,the other very famous English portrait painter from this time period, were art rivals. Though Gainsborough was a favorite artist of the Royal Family, Reynolds was appointed the position of court artist. Their strong feelings against each other overshadowed a mutual respect. On Gainsborough’s deathbed, he asked to see Reynolds, who paid him this last visit. After Gainsborough’s death, Reynolds praised him in his art in his Fourteenth Discourse.
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