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

This early 20th century study offers an intimate journey into the mind of Britain's greatest portrait painter. Estelle M. Hurll, writing with a connoisseur's precision, examines fifteen of Reynolds's most accomplished works alongside a portrait of the artist himself. What emerges is not merely a catalogue but a meditation on how Reynolds transformed canvas into character, how he could render a child's mischievous gaze or a nobleman's dignified bearing with equal authority. Hurll illuminates his revolutionary approach: the belief that portraiture should reveal soul, not simply record surface. She traces his masterful manipulation of color, his "grand manner" that elevated ordinary subjects into something monumental, and his uncanny ability to capture not just likeness but the living personality beneath. For anyone seeking to understand why Reynolds dominated British art for decades, this book provides both the visual guide and the interpretive framework to appreciate his enduring genius.