Joshua Reynolds

In 1740, Reynolds was apprenticed to the fashionable portrait painter Thomas Hudson. By copying Hudson's collection of Old Master drawings, such as those by Guercino, he developed his foundational skills and aesthetic eye.¹

During his three-year stay in Italy starting in 1749, he studied the Old Masters in Rome. While he developed his 'Grand Style' there, a severe cold left him partially deaf, leading him to use an ear trumpet for the rest of his life.¹

Giuseppe Marchi, whom Reynolds brought back from Italy, served as his loyal studio assistant for the rest of his career. Assistants like Marchi were crucial to maintaining Reynolds' vast output and consistent quality.¹

At his peak, he saw five or six sitters a day and commanded fees as high as 100 guineas. His clientele included royalty and nobility, cementing his reputation as the definitive portraitist of the Enlightenment.¹

He founded the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768 and served as its first president. Knighted by George III in 1769, he established himself not only as a portraitist but as a definitive leader of the British art world.¹

He often adapted poses from Old Masters, a sign of classical respect. However, this practice led to a scandal in 1775 when Nathaniel Hone submitted a painting mocking Reynolds' borrowings as mere conjuring or plagiarism.¹

His masterpiece 'Portrait of Omai' sold for £50 million in 2023. Depicting a foreign subject as a classical hero, the work is considered a pinnacle of his idealization technique and a timeless masterpiece of British art.¹