| Method | Stipple |
| Artist | William Holl after Sir Joshua Reynolds |
| Published | London, Published by Charles Knight & Co. Ludgate Street. [n.d. c. 1833] |
| Dimensions | Image 127 x 106 mm, Sheet 251 x 180 mm |
| Notes |
From Knight's The Gallery of Portraits with Memoirs. Inscription reads: 'From a Picture by Sir J. Reynolds in the possession of Sir Robert Peel Bar.' Half-length portrait of Samuel Johnson, looking down with a furrowed brow, wearing a wig and plain coat, with his left hand placed on his stomach. Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784), often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) was one of the most important figures of the eighteenth century art world. He was the first President of the Royal Academy and Britain's leading portrait painter. Through a series of lectures on the Discourses on Art at the Royal Academy he defined the style later known as the Grand Manner, an idealised Classical aesthetic. He had a profound impact on the theory and practice of art and helped to raise the status of portrait painting into the realm of fine art. A flamboyant socialite, Reynolds used his social contacts to promote himself and advance his career becoming one of the most prominent portrait painters of the period. Condition: Staining and discolouration to sheet, small tear to top right corner, and small part of bottom right corner missing. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £40.00 |
| Stock ID | 36705 |