Highlights from the Sir Joshua Reynolds collection

Painted image of Sir Joshua Reynolds sitting at a desk, from Saltram, Devon — Joshua Reynolds (1723–92), 1767, by Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), from Saltram, Devon | © National Trust Images/Rob Matheson

Joshua Reynolds (1723–92) was the leading portrait painter of the 18th century. An imaginative and creative artist, his portraits were admired for their innovative compositions and ability to capture an individual’s distinctive personality. We look after the largest collection of his works in a historic house setting.

Who was Joshua Reynolds?

Joshua Reynolds was born in Devon on 16 July 1723, to a middle-class family. Interested in art from an early age, he studied essays by Leonardo da Vinci and practised drawing with his sisters.

At 17, Reynolds started training with an artist called Thomas Hudson. He then travelled to Italy and France and by the 1750s he was firmly established as a portraitist in London. As his social network grew, so did the number of commissions.

Reynolds co-founded the Royal Academy of Arts with 33 other artists in 1768 and became its first President. He was actively involved in its management and delivered a series of lectures, called the Discourses on Art, which contained his beliefs about art theory and practice.

In 1784, Reynolds became the Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King. However, the post seems to have disappointed him, writing that it was ‘of near equal dignity with His Majesty’s Rat-catcher.’

A large collection

In addition to 76 oil paintings, we also care for 607 print copies of Reynolds's works, with more in bound volumes, and 77 copies of his written works. This collection forms the largest body and widest distribution of works by Joshua Reynolds in the British historic house setting.

Reynolds's early career

Portrait painting of a woman who is possibly Elizabeth Hamilton, Mrs John Cameron of Glenkindy, later the Comtesse de Fay. It was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792) — Possibly Elizabeth Hamilton, Mrs John Cameron of Glenkindy, later the Comtesse de Fay by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723-1792) | © National Trust Images

Possibly Elizabeth Hamilton, Mrs John Cameron of Glenkindy, Montacute, Somerset

The cool flesh tones, blues and greys suggest this portrait was painted in the early 1750s, after Reynolds had returned from studying the Old Masters in Italy. Back in London, he set up his first studio at St Martin's Lane before moving to Great Newport Street. The 1750s saw Reynolds establish his name in the London art world. His budding flair for conveying character is revealed in this playful portrait, in which the sitter, softly illuminated against dark drapery, gazes mischievously at the viewer.

Portrait painting of the man Bennet Langton (1737-1801) by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92), in the Drawing Room at Gunby Hall, Lincolnshire — Bennet Langton (1737–1801), 1759–62, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723-1792) | © National Trust Images

Bennet Langton, Gunby Hall, Lincolnshire

Bennet Langton's exceptional height and willowy frame are conveyed in this relaxed portrait. In 1760 Reynolds moved to a larger residence in Leicester Fields, London, and exhibited portraits at the Society of Artists – the first public exhibition of paintings ever held in England. His portraits were being recognised for their innovative approach to characterisation. In this portrait, Langton poses as the leisured scholar, leaning effortlessly and sinuously upon an account of the English Civil Wars by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon.

Oil painting on canvas, Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn of Penrhyn (1739 ? 1808) by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792) — Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn of Penrhyn (1739–1808), c. 1761, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images

Richard Pennant, 1st Baron Penrhyn of Penrhyn, Penrhyn Castle, Gwynedd

Richard Pennant may have commissioned this portrait upon his election as a Member of Parliament in 1761. In the following decades, as debate around the abolition of slavery gained momentum, Pennant used his political platform to lobby in favour of enslaved labour. In contrast to his sitter, Reynolds is understood to have supported abolition. His opinion is recorded in an account by the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, and Reynolds is also named as a subscriber to the 1791 edition of Ottobah Cugoano's 'Thoughts and sentiments on the evil of slavery.'

Oil painting on canvas, Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) by Sir Joshua Reynolds (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), circa 1769/70. A half-length portrait of Johnson aged 60, his eyes partly closed, gesturing with his hands, with short brown hair, and wearing a brown coat with open neck. — Dr Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), c.1769–1770, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images

Dr Samuel Johnson, Knole, Kent

Dr Samuel Johnson, the celebrated writer, dictionary-compiler and conversationalist, referred to Reynolds as ‘the only man whom I call a friend.’ A brilliant networker and bon vivant, Reynolds founded the Literary Club with Johnson in 1764. Its original members included Edmund Burke, Bennet Langton and Oliver Goldsmith. In this painting, Johnson is shown in profile, wigless, like a classical philosopher or poet. Contemporary accounts suggest Johnson was known for his elaborate hand gestures.

A painting of John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon leaning on a gate with his gun, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, at Saltram Devon — John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, c.1770, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images/John Hammond

John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, Saltram, Devon

The Parkers of Saltram were among Reynolds's closest and oldest friends. Born within half a mile of their estate, Reynolds knew the family from his early years. He painted thirteen pictures for them, socialised and corresponded with them regularly and acted as their art advisor. This is a rare example of a whole-length portrait painted on a small scale by Reynolds. John Parker relished country pursuits and his relaxed, informal pose, and the smaller size, evoke a sense of easy camaraderie between artist and sitter.

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Later career

A discourse delivered to the students of the Royal Academy on the Distribution of the Prizes — A Discourse delivered to the students of the Royal Academy on the Distribution of Prizes, December 11, 1769, by the President | © National Trust/Michael Ford

A Discourse delivered to the students of the Royal Academy, Saltram, Devon

In his famous Discourses, which were given to students at the Royal Academy, Reynolds set out his beliefs about art theory and practice. He argued that painting should be promoted to the same status as poetry, which was a more established form of the arts at that time. "The first idea that occurs in the consideration of what is fixed in art, or in taste, is that presiding principle ... the general idea of nature." (Discourse 7; 1, 204)

Oil painting housed at Knole, Kent, of Huang Ya Dong — Huang Ya Dong ('Wang-Y-Tong') by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, c.1776, Knole, Kent (The Sackville Collection) | © National Trust Image/Matthew Hollow

Huang Ya Dong ('Wang-Y-Tong') (c. 1776), Knole, Kent

In this painting, Reynolds adapts the conventions of European portraiture to evoke his sitter’s Chinese nationality, incorporating authentic articles of Cantonese dress and furniture. Huang Ya Dong was a translator from Guangzhou who visited London in the 1770s. Reynolds periodically painted celebrated visitors from abroad who were drawn to the studio to see works of art and meet the talented company that congregated there. Huang dined with Reynolds and discussed Chinese botany, medicine and technology with many of the great writers and innovators of the day.

Paint of John Parker sitting next to his sister Theresa Parker as children — John Parker, later 1st Earl of Morley (1772–1840), and his Sister Theresa Parker, later the Hon. Mrs George Villiers (1775–1856), as children, 1779 – 1781, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images/Rob Matheson

John and Theresa Parker, Saltram, Devon

In addition to his portraits of adults, Reynolds’s paintings of children have proved popular through the ages, particularly the 'fancy pictures' which depicted peasant or beggar children and were often reproduced as prints in huge numbers. The children in this picture, however, are the young siblings John and Theresa Parker, another commission from the aristocratic Parker family of Saltram, where it's displayed in the Red Room.

Painting of Sir Joshua Reynolds sitting at a desk — Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–92) by Angelica Kauffman (1741–1807), 1767, Saltram, Devon | © National Trust Images/Rob Matheson

Joshua Reynolds, Saltram, Devon

The Swiss artist Angelica Kauffman was one of only two women to be co-founders of the Royal Academy. Her painting of Joshua Reynolds, a close friend, includes a bust of Michelangelo in the background, which serves as a reminder of the influence of the great Renaissance artist on Reynolds. Kauffman also painted a set of four ceiling paintings, ‘Elements of Art’, to be displayed at the Royal Academy, which formed a visual representation of Reynolds’s theories as set out in his Discourses.

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New directions and Reynolds's legacy

Joshua Reynolds painted historical and theatrical subjects as well as portraits, and experimented with different types of paints. He had a powerful influence on generations of later artists and his paintings continue to appeal to a wide range of audiences today.

Oil painting on canvas shows Count Ugolino shown on the left, surrounded by his children and grandchilden, in various states of despair in a dungeon. — Count Ugolino and his Children in the Dungeon, by Joshua Reynolds, Knole, Kent | © National Trust Images/Brian Tremain

Count Ugolino and his Children in the Dungeon, Knole, Kent

The miserable story of Ugolino – who was imprisoned with his sons and grandchildren and left to die of starvation – was popularised in the late 18th century largely because of this painting. Commissioned by Reynolds’s most influential patron of the 1770s, the 3rd Duke of Dorset, Ugolino was a bold venture into historical subject matter for Reynolds. It brought him considerable attention at home and abroad, and the artist himself said that the piece 'got me more credit than any I ever did before.’

Oil painting on canvas, Macbeth and the Witches (from William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth') (unfinished) — Macbeth and the Witches (from William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’) (unfinished), 1786, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images

Macbeth and the Witches, Petworth, Sussex

Rather than focus on a single moment, Reynolds captures several passages from Act IV in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. With his back turned to us and dagger raised, Macbeth is transfixed by the witches. This painting is an example of Reynolds’s painting beyond the realm of portraiture. It was made for Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, an innovative annual exhibition exclusively devoted to Shakespearean subjects. Reynolds eyesight had so deteriorated by the late 1780s that this painting was left unfinished.

Oil painting on canvas. The nymph reclines at the left on white drapery under a red canopy in a wooded landscape, who looks towards a boy dressed in red velvet, who is seated at the right playing a pipe. — Nymph and Piping Boy, c.1785–6, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images

Nymph and Piping Boy, Polesden Lacey, Surrey

Throughout his career, Reynolds experimented with different kinds of pigments, oils, varnishes and glazes. His fellow artist Thomas Gainsborough even remarked ‘every picture of Sir Joshua’s was an experiment of art.’ In this painting, his use of brown paint containing bitumen, a thick tarry substance, has led to a rough surface texture and discolouration of the nymph’s legs over time. Despite this, the painting was still sought-after by collectors; in 1917, it was bought by the Edwardian socialite Margaret Greville, the owner of Polesden Lacey, for more than £7,000.

A half-length portrait of a young woman, her head tilted a little to the left, her arms sit along a red covered ledge, on which a letter lies. She is wearing a deep brown-black bodice, with a four row pearl necklace and a green enamel tiara set with pearls. — Kitty Fisher (Catherine Maria Fischer) (1741-67), 1759, by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (1723–1792) | © National Trust Images/Derrick E. Witty

Kitty Fisher, Petworth House and Park, Sussex

Kitty Fisher was one of the most famous courtesans in Georgian London. Many newspaper and magazine articles were written about her, in an early example of celebrity culture. Reynolds painted her at least four times, setting off gossip about their relationship and boosting her fame further. In this painting, she is dressed in finest silk and lace, wearing masses of pearls.

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Conservation stories

Today, we're continuing to to look after, research and interpret the works by Reynolds in our care. We conserved the four paintings shown here as part of the 300th anniversary of Joshua Reynolds’s birth in 2023.

The Death of Cardinal Beaufort, Petworth House and Park, Sussex

Conservation work revealed a devil-like figure in this painting which had been hidden. It was obscured by a lot of overpainting (when new paint is layered over the original work) as well as six layers of varnish. Reynolds added the ‘fiend’ to his painting of the dying Cardinal Beaufort, a scene from Shakespeare’s Henry VI Part II. The overpainting was identified through paint sampling and imaging techniques, such as observing the surface in infra-red and ultra-violet light.

Use the slider to compare the painting before and after it was conserved, and see if you can detect the once-hidden figure looming above the bed.

Slider with before and after images

Oil painting by Joshua Reynolds showing the death of Cardinal Beaufort (1377–1447) as he lies on a bed surrounded by people — Conservation work revealed a fiend in the painting The Death of Cardinal Beaufort (1377–1447), Petworth House, Sussex | © National Trust Images/Derrick E. Witty

Oil painting on canvas, The Death of Cardinal Beaufort, from William Shakespeare's Henry VI

The Hon. Theresa Robinson, Saltram, Devon

The portrait of Theresa Robinson has been examined using a range of techniques, including inspection under ultra-violet light, which revealed discoloured areas of old varnish. This technical report was added to information about the painting's original appearance from a historic mezzotint (a print made from an engraved metal plate). This information informed the conservators’ approach to removing varnish and overpaint layer by layer, area by area, at the Royal Oak Conservation Studio at Knole in Kent.

Oil painting on canvas, Diana disarming Cupid by Sir Joshua Reynolds at Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire — Diana disarming Cupid by Sir Joshua Reynolds at Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire | © National Trust Images/Polly Saltmarsh

Diana disarming Cupid, Wimpole, Cambridge

Conservation work has also taken place on the portrait depicting Elizabeth Dashwood, Duchess of Manchester and her son George Montagu, as Diana and Cupid. The painting is set into a panel in the Saloon at Wimpole Hall. The surface of the back as well as the front was cleaned, reducing the risk of dirt layers affecting the canvas support and impacting the view of the front of the painting.

A full-length portrait of John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, KG (1745-1799) by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), 1769 — (After conservation, 2024) John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, KG (1745-1799) by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), 1769 | © National Trust Images/Matthew Hollow

John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, Knole, Kent

The condition of the portrait of John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, was investigated at the Royal Oak Studio by capturing images under ultra-violet, infra-red light and X-ray. These methods were used to understand the history of its care, to unlock the secrets of its patchy appearance and to plan its conservation. The 3rd Duke of Dorset was a close friend of Reynolds and an important patron of his work.

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Joshua Reynolds was a central figure in British art during the Georgian period. He had a powerful influence on generations of later artists and his paintings continue to appeal to a wide range of audiences today.

Today, we continue to look after, research and interpret the Reynolds’s works in our care, making them accessible to everyone.

Two historical garments hanging on mannequins

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