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Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-4) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
Here is a short video of the exhibition:
Popular and experimental
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was a very fashionable portrait painter during the second half of the 18th century and the first President of the Royal Academy.
The exhibition is the culmination of a four-year research project into the Reynolds paintings owned by the Wallace. Using various techniques including X-ray and infrared imaging, the paintings have been investigated by experts at the Wallace with advice from the National Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art
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X-ray image of the portrait of Mary Robinson shown above. The X-ray shows that Mary's hand was originally painted supporting her chin Photo © Andrew Knowles |
The X-ray image of the Yale Center's portrait of Mary Robinson shown below reveals that the painting was not Reynold’s first attempt, but that underneath the existing painting is another, earlier painting, upside down.
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X-ray image of the Yale Center's portrait of Mary Robinson shown below. The X-ray shows another portrait that has been painted over. Photo © Andrew Knowles |
The paintings on display include some of Reynold's earliest work such as his self-portrait, painted c1747-9, before he went on the Grand Tour and a canvas entitled Studio Experiments in Colour and Media.
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Self-portrait Shading the Eyes by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1747-9) © The National Portrait Gallery, London |
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Studio Experiments in Colour and Media © Royal Academy of Arts, London |
The exhibition includes a number of fancy paintings – imaginative paintings of people, representing ideas rather than intended as portraits. These include The Strawberry Girl and The Age of Innocence.
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The Strawberry Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1772-3) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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The Age of Innocence by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1788) © The Tate; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
I particularly liked the two paintings of Mary Robinson, probably because she is the character with whom I am most familiar. The portrait owned by the Wallace Collection is shown at the top of this blog post and is very similar to that owned by the Yale Center for British Art (shown below) although this latter portrait is less finished.
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Mrs Mary Robinson by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1783-5) © The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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4th Duke of Queensbury ('Old Q') as Earl of March by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1759) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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Miss Jane Bowles by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1775) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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Miss Nelly O'Brien by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1762-4) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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Mrs Susanna Hoare and Child by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1763-4) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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Mrs Mary Nesbitt by Sir Joshua Reynolds (c1781) © The Wallace Collection; Photo © Andrew Knowles |
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Mrs Abington as Miss Prue by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1771) © The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection Photo © Andrew Knowles |
Hello Rachel, Thanks for the Great Posts! Would you be interested in publishing on our art blog? Please let us know. Thanks, Chris.
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