William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath

Reynolds painted William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, around 1761, depicting the Whig politician whose opposition to Robert Walpole had dominated parliamentary politics in the 1730s and 1740s. Pulteney's acceptance of an earldom in 1742, rather than claiming the premiership, was seen as a betrayal by his supporters and effectively ended his political influence. Now in the National Portrait Gallery, the portrait documents a figure whose career illustrated the dangers of political ambition in the Georgian parliamentary system.

Oil on canvas, the religious composition demonstrates Joshua Reynolds's classical references in poses and experimental pigments in service of sacred narrative. The figural arrangement draws on established iconographic tradition while the handling of light and color creates emotional resonance.