Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A.
Study for the Royal Academy Self Portrait, 1780
Oil on canvas
29 ½ x 25 ¼ in. (74.9 x 64.1 cm)
Philip Mould & Co.
To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com This remarkable portrait represents one of the most important Reynold’s discoveries of recent years. It is an assured and direct...
To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com
This remarkable portrait represents one of the most important Reynold’s discoveries of recent years. It is an assured and direct study for the large self-portrait in the collection of their Royal Academy, in which the artist depicts himself in the scarlet and salmon-pink faced gown of an Oxford Doctor of Civil Law. The velvet bonnet of the degree combines with the bold treatment of light and shade to demonstrate the considerable debt, almost a homage, to the self-portraits of Rembrandt. This, and the masterly use of a low viewpoint, creates an extremely forceful impression of character and achievement.
This remarkable portrait represents one of the most important Reynold’s discoveries of recent years. It is an assured and direct study for the large self-portrait in the collection of their Royal Academy, in which the artist depicts himself in the scarlet and salmon-pink faced gown of an Oxford Doctor of Civil Law. The velvet bonnet of the degree combines with the bold treatment of light and shade to demonstrate the considerable debt, almost a homage, to the self-portraits of Rembrandt. This, and the masterly use of a low viewpoint, creates an extremely forceful impression of character and achievement.