Mrs Hartley as a Nymph with a Young Bacchus

Reynolds painted Elizabeth Hartley, one of Georgian London's most celebrated actresses, as a nymph with a young Bacchus in 1773. The portrait-as-mythology format was Reynolds's specialty, elevating his sitters through classical allusion in accordance with his Grand Manner theories. Hartley's fame on the Drury Lane stage made her a natural subject for this theatrical treatment. Characteristic of Reynolds's approach, the work displays classical elevation of portraiture, learned allusions to Old Masters, dignified psychological presence.

Reynolds's rich, warm palette and soft handling create the idealized beauty his Grand Manner demanded, though his experimental pigments have led to the cracking and fading visible in many of his portraits today.