REYNOLDS, Sir Joshua (b. 1723, Plympton Earl, d. 1792, London) Lady Cockburn and her Three Eldest Sons 1773 Oil on canvas, 141,5 x 113 cm National Gallery, London In his seventh Discourse on Art delivered at the Royal Academy in 1776, Reynolds proclaimed: in his practice of portrait-painting wishes to dignify his subject, which we will suppose to be a lady, will not paint her in the modern dress, the familiarity of which alone is sufficient to destroy all [he] dresses his figure something with the general air of the antique for the sake of dignity, and preserves somethin
REYNOLDS, Sir Joshua (b. 1723, Plympton Earl, d. 1792, London) Lady Cockburn and her Three Eldest Sons 1773 Oil on canvas, 141,5 x 113 cm National Gallery, London In his seventh Discourse on Art delivered at the Royal Academy in 1776, Reynolds proclaimed: in his practice of portrait-painting wishes to dignify his subject, which we will suppose to be a lady, will not paint her in the modern dress, the familiarity of which alone is sufficient to destroy all [he] dresses his figure something with the general air of the antique for the sake of dignity, and preserves something of the modern for the sake of likeness. In his fourth Discourse of 1771 he had recommended the 'historical Painter' never to to 'debase his conceptions with minute attention to the discriminations of him, the clothing is neither woolen, nor linen, nor silk, satin, or velvet: it is drapery; it is nothing more.' Reynolds was not alone in worrying about the way portraits began to look ridiculous as fashions changed. The dress of ancient Greeks and Romans belonged to that period in European history which, educated people then thought, set civilised standards for all time; it was also believed to be closer to nature than modern dress especially the 'straight lacing of English ladies', ' health and long life'. But not all sitters wished to be depicted in mythical charades, and the results could sometimes be even more risible than an outmoded bodice - as when Lady Sarah Bunbury, who 'liked eating beefsteaks and playing cricket' was painted by Reynolds sacrificing to the Three Graces. Lady Cockburn's portrait demonstrates the half-way mode most successfully adopted by the artist, and his pleasure in it is reflected by his signing it on the hem of her robe - a wonderfully majestic gold 'drapery'. According to the newly fashionable exaltation of maternity, Augusta Anne, Sir James Cockburn's second wife, is posed with her three children (although separa
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Photo credit: © Carlo Bollo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1800, 1800s, 19th, american, art, artwork, century, historical, history, paint, painter, painting, paintings, portrait
