English Masters: Reynolds

This video is part of a series on the lives, times, and works of some of the great artists of England. This volume features Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of his nation's most influential art figures. Born in 1723, Reynolds studied art in London, then in Italy. Upon returning to his native land, he began painting portraits and soon became popular with the rich and famous. He became president of the Royal Academy at its founding in 1768. In his annual discourses, he propounded what came to be known as "the grand style," which involved the deliberate use of allusion to the old masters. The film shows a variety of the more than 2,000 portraits and historical paintings by this prolific artist.