Portrait of Sir William Chambers
| Portrait of Sir William Chambers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joshua Reynolds |
| Year | 1780 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Dimensions | 129 cm × 103.2 cm (51 in × 40.6 in) |
| Location | Royal Academy, London |
Portrait of Sir William Chambers is a 1780 portrait painting by the British artist Joshua Reynolds depicting the architect William Chambers.[1] [2] Reynolds was the first President of the Royal Academy. The Royal Academy had recently moved into new headquarters at Somerset House on the Strand in London. Chambers, also a prominent member of the Academy, had designed the new building. Reynolds portrays him with a porte crayon in his hand, against the backdrop of Somerset House.[3]
It is likely the painting was produced as a pendant to hang alongside the Self-Portrait by Reynolds in the Assembly Room at Somerset House.[4] The engraver Valentine Green produced a mezzotint based on the painting, a copy of which is now in the National Portrait Gallery.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ Harris p.192
- ^ Postle p.250
- ^ https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/portrait-of-sir-william-chambers-r-a-1
- ^ https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/work-of-art/portrait-of-sir-william-chambers-r-a-1
- ^ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw138980/Sir-William-Chambers
Bibliography
[edit]- Harris, John. Sir William Chambers: Architect to George III. Yale University Press, 1996.
- McIntyre, Ian. Joshua Reynolds: The Life and Times of the First President of the Royal Academy. Allen Lane, 2003.
- Postle, Edward (ed.) Joshua Reynolds: The Creation of Celebrity. Harry N. Abrams, 2005.
- Wendorf, Richard. Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Painter in Society. Harvard University Press, 1998.
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