Mary Barnardiston

Joshua Reynolds's portrait of Mary Barnardiston, painted around 1755, is an early work from the artist who would become the most influential portrait painter in British history and the first president of the Royal Academy. In the mid-1750s, Reynolds had recently returned from his transformative Italian journey (1749-1752) and was establishing his London practice. This portrait shows the young Reynolds developing the grand manner style that would revolutionize English portraiture.

Reynolds's early technique shows the influence of his Italian studies, with warm Venetian-inspired color and the broad, confident brushwork that distinguished his portraits from the tighter manner of his predecessors. The flesh tones and fabric handling already demonstrate the mastery that would make him London's most sought-after portraitist.