Sir Joshua Reynolds A Collection of Fifteen Pictures and a Portrait of the Painter with Introduction and Interpretation

This volume gathers fifteen of Sir Joshua Reynolds’s most celebrated works, ranging from dignified portraits of statesmen to intimate scenes of children at play. The selection is arranged to showcase the painter’s remarkable versatility—his ability to lift any sitter, whether a towering figure like Dr. Johnson or a carefree “Strawberry Girl,” into a pose of graceful poise. Complementing the images is a concise portrait of Reynolds himself, painted by his own hand, and an insightful essay that situates his art within the broader currents of 18th‑century portraiture.

The book presents each painting as a modern colour image, restored from the original plates and linked for easy enlargement, allowing listeners to picture the fine details of drapery and expression. The introductory commentary unpacks Reynolds’s instinctive taste, his storytelling impulse, and his talent for revealing each subject’s individuality. Together, the visuals and interpretation invite a vivid, almost tactile appreciation of a master whose work still resonates with elegance and narrative depth.