_-_George_Brydges%2C_First_Lord_Rodney_(1719%5E-92)_-_RCIN_405899_-_Royal_Collection.jpg&width=1200)
George Brydges, First Lord Rodney (1719?-92)
Joshua Reynolds·1788
Historical Context
This portrait, painted in 1788, reflects the conventions of eighteenth-century portraiture during the Enlightenment era. Joshua Reynolds, the founding President of the Royal Academy and England's most celebrated portrait painter, brings experimental pigments to the depiction of the sitter. Reynolds built his portraits using multiple glazed layers over a warm imprimatura, blending Rembrandt's tonal depth with Van Dyck's aristocratic elegance—though his experimental use of bitumen and carmine...
Technical Analysis
The portrait is rendered with classical references in poses that characterizes Joshua Reynolds's best work. Oil on canvas provides a rich ground for the subtle gradations of flesh tone and the textural contrasts between skin, fabric, and background that give the image its convincing presence.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice the late date: 1788 is among Reynolds's last portraits, with his eyesight already failing.
- ◆Look at the naval authority Reynolds projects for Admiral Rodney, hero of the Battle of the Saintes (1782).
- ◆Observe the experimental pigments: Reynolds's late work sometimes shows the consequences of his unconventional materials — discoloration and cracking.
- ◆Find the classical references in the pose that Reynolds used to give naval heroes the gravity of antique commanders.
See It In Person
More by Joshua Reynolds
_with_Inigo_Jones_and_Charles_Blair_-_MET_DP213052.jpg&width=600)
The Honorable Henry Fane (1739–1802) with Inigo Jones and Charles Blair
Joshua Reynolds·1761–66
Lady Sarah Bunbury Sacrificing to the Graces
Joshua Reynolds·1763–65
Sir Thomas Rumbold, Bt.
Joshua Reynolds·1788
_and_Martha_Neate_(1741%E2%80%93after_1795)_with_His_Tutor%2C_Thomas_Needham_MET_DP168995.jpg&width=600)
Thomas (1740–1825) and Martha Neate (1741–after 1795) with His Tutor, Thomas Needham
Joshua Reynolds·1748
