Sir Joshua Reynolds

Description

Joshua Reynolds has tried to rival Rembrandt by painting himself as seen in this engraving. When he made this painting, he was Britain's most famous painter and President of the Royal Academy of Arts. During his lectures at the Academy, Reynolds developed a theory of art based on the need of modern British artists to imitate the old Masters. In this painting, his costume, pose, and dramatic contrasts of light and dark refer to Rembrandt's work. Even the shape of her face is made to resemble the distinctive, jaw-shaped facial features of the Dutch painter.