Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 – 1792), English portrait painter and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Date: c. 1769 (the work is generally dated to the late 1760s).
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Dimensions: Approximately 76 cm × 66 cm (30 in × 26 in).
Current Location: Tate Britain, London, United Kingdom.
Provenance and Exhibition History:
- The painting entered the collection of the Tate in 1965 through purchase.
- It has been displayed in exhibitions focusing on Reynolds’ oeuvre, the development of British portraiture, and the history of self‑representation in art.
Visual Description (non‑interpretive):
- The subject is the artist himself, shown at half‑length, facing the viewer.
- He is depicted wearing a dark coat with a white shirt and a loose cravat.
- The background is a neutral, muted tone, emphasizing the figure.
- The brushwork shows Reynolds’ characteristic blend of naturalism and idealisation, with careful modelling of the face and hands.
Significance (encyclopedic):
- The work is one of the few surviving self‑portraits by Reynolds, providing insight into his self‑presentation and artistic identity.
- It exemplifies the 18th‑century British portrait tradition and Reynolds’ role in establishing a “Grand Style” that blended classical references with contemporary portraiture.
References:
- Tate Britain catalogue entry for Self‑Portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
- Royal Academy of Arts publications on Reynolds’ life and works.
All information presented is based on widely available museum and scholarly records.
