(b Plympton, Devon, 16 July 1723; d London, 23 Feb 1792).
English painter, collector and writer. The foremost portrait painter in
England in the 18th century, he transformed early Georgian portraiture
by greatly enlarging its range. His poses, frequently based on the Old
Masters or antique sculpture, were intended to invoke classical values
and to enhance the dignity of his sitters. His rich colour, strong
lighting and free handling of paint greatly influenced the generation of
Thomas Lawrence and Henry Raeburn. His history and fancy pictures
explored dramatic and emotional themes that became increasingly popular
with both artists and collectors in the Romantic period. As first
president of the Royal Academy in London, he did more than anyone to
raise the status of art and artists in Britain. His Discourses on Art,
delivered to the students and members of the Academy between 1769 and
1790, are the most eloquent and widely respected body of art criticism
by any English writer.
