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Iphigenia (copy after Joshua Reynolds)
William Etty·1830
Historical Context
Iphigenia, the Greek princess sacrificed by her father Agamemnon for favorable winds, appears in this 1830 copy after Joshua Reynolds now at York Art Gallery. Etty's decision to copy Reynolds—Britain's most celebrated history painter—reflects his admiration for the grand manner tradition in British art. Reynolds's treatment of classical and literary subjects provided a model for Etty's own ambitions to elevate British painting through noble subject matter and accomplished figure work.
Technical Analysis
The copy reveals Etty translating Reynolds's more restrained flesh painting into his own warmer, more Venetian idiom. The classical subject is rendered with the glowing skin tones that distinguish Etty's approach from Reynolds's cooler, more sculptural modeling. Drapery and background follow the original composition while bearing the marks of Etty's characteristically broader brushwork.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice Etty translating Reynolds's Iphigenia into his own warmer, more Venetian idiom — glowing skin tones distinguishing his approach from Reynolds's cooler modeling.
- ◆Look at the classical subject rendered with the warm coloring that characterized Etty's personal style rather than Reynolds's original manner.
- ◆Observe the 1830 York Art Gallery copy revealing how Etty absorbed the British grand manner tradition while transforming it through his Venetian sensibility.
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