Joshua Reynolds

Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792) was one of the most famous portrait painters of the 18th century. As the son of a headmaster, he enjoyed a more extensive school education than many of his colleagues. In 1740 Reynolds began his training with the London portrait painter Thomas Hudson. But before he himself settled in London as a portrait painter, he spent three years travelling, mainly in Italy, where he studied the old masters.

Through his intensive studies of antiquity and the Italian Renaissance, as well as Rembrandt and Rubens, Reynolds was able to expand British portraiture and give it more dignity. Thus, shortly after his return to London, Reynolds established himself as one of the best portrait painters in the city. The King, George. III, but he never met him. He painted many other personalities, such as "Anne, 2nd Countess of Albemarle" (ca. 1760), "Captain Robert Orme" (1756) or "Colonel Tarletin" (1782).

Although the painter himself believed that history painting was the noblest of all painting, he himself came only little to this genre. His reputation as a portraitist, however, spoke for itself. When the Royal Academy of Arts was founded in 1768, Joshua Reynolds was elected its first president. Only one year later, the painter was raised to the nobility because of his merits.