Lieutenant, later Captain, Paul Henry Ourry, MP (1719-1783) with 'Jersey'

Reynolds's portrait of Lieutenant Paul Henry Ourry from 1748 with his dog 'Jersey' is among the earliest surviving documented works by the painter, produced when he was just twenty-five and still working in the manner of his master Thomas Hudson. Ourry was a Devon-born naval officer whose family connections brought him within Reynolds's early patronage network; the painting thus reflects the local and county relationships that sustained Reynolds before his Italian journey transformed his ambitions and his market. The portrait's most striking element is the inclusion of the dog — a decision that reflects both the sitter's personal affection and the widespread Georgian convention of including animals as symbols of loyalty and sporting life in portraits of military men. Reynolds's pre-Italian portraits show him working within the conventions of English portraiture established by Kneller and refined by Hudson, producing competent likenesses in a style that would be entirely superseded by his post-Italian work. The National Trust's holding of this early canvas provides an important document of Reynolds's starting point — the modest convention from which the Grand Style would depart so decisively after 1752.

The early naval portrait shows Reynolds's developing technique. The handling of the officer's uniform and features anticipates his mature portrait style.