EEY
KEY
in St. Martin's Lane, he removed to Great Newport Street, and in 1761 to the west side of Leicester Square, where he bought a house, and added a painting room and gallery. He was, on his return, immedi- ately distinguished, and was soon looked upon as the head of his profession. It must surely have been a cause of mortifi- cation, that, on a vacancy in the office of Court painter, he was passed over ; but he never was a favourite of the Court, and the king never sat to him but on one occasion, that he might present the royal portrait to the Academy. There must have t>een some cause for this neglect, but whether from a want of appreciation of his art, or a dislike to the painter, there seems no sufficient explanation.
He was one of the first members of the Incorporated Society, wrote the preface to the catalogue for 1762 ; and was a regular contributor to its exhibitions up to 1768 ; and though he had little in common with the Society, he was, up to 1764, a member of the managing committee, and apparently gave such attendance as his engagements would permit. On the foundation of the Royal Academy, the artists unanimously elected him their first president; yet he was only very reluctantly induced to accept the office. To add to its importance the honour of knighthood was conferred upon him. He had arrived at the height of his
Eractice. In the next 15 years he exhi- ited no less than 147 works : these, though chiefly portraits, included, in 1773, his ' Ugolino/ and * The Strawberry Girl ; ' in 1777, ' The Fortune Teller ; ' in 1779, * The Nativity.' Two of his pictures, ' The Duke of Clarence,' and * Philippe Egalite* Due d'Orleans,' were burnt at the fire at Carlton House, June 8, 1824 ; as, however, there were some" remains of each, they were re- stored in 1874, and are now in Hampton Court Palace.
Up to this time he had, during his long career, continued to paint almost without interruption, when in 1782 he experienced a slight shock of what he feared was para- lysis, but he soon recovered from it, and returned at once to his easel. In that year he exhibited 15 works, the next year 10, and in 1784 no less than 16, including the * Nymph and Cupid,' and his celebrated portrait of Mrs. Siddons. In 1785 again 16, and in each of the two following years 13, and in 1788, 18; so that if, as is gener- ally stated, he looked upon the attack he had suffered as premonitory, he no less set himself greater tasks, and worked harder than ever. But these exertions were fol- lowed by a more severe attack in 1789, and, finishing what he was able of the works he had in hand, he exhibited for the last time in 1790, leaving a blank on the walls of the Academy which has not yet been filled. 354
As a portrait painter Reynolds has in the English school always been placed before all others. He gave an interest and a value to his works beyond the mere portrait, breaking away at once from the stiff air of portraiture, he seized every new action, every true expression that nature offered to him. His children have all the artless
f races of childhood, his women are lovely, is men endowed with dignity. Untram- melled by rules of practice he ran a free career, and aiming at beauties beyond the reach of his materials, striving to attain a higher excellence, he used indiscriminately fading colours and fugitive mediums which led to the premature deray of many of his works, ana have brought many more into the hands of cruel restorers. His contem- poraries eulogised him as a history painter, but in that art he retains no rank in the present day. His conceptions did not rise to history, the form ana character of his creations never went beyond his model. Yet in all his works we see great power, luxuriant and glowing colour, excellently treated draperies, and most appropriate and beautiful backgrounds.
He was on terms of intimacy with the most eminent literary men of his time, and maintained an uninterrupted friendship with Dr. Johnson to the end of his life. The doctor said of him, ' I know of no man who has passed through life with more observation than Reynolds;' and again,
- when Reynolds tells me anything. I con-
sider myself as possessed of an idea the more.' He was himself distinguished by his literary abilities. He wrote, 1759-60, three papers for ' The Idler ' No. 76, * False Criticisms on Painting,' No. 79, 'On the Grand Style in Painting/ No. 82, ' On the True Idea of Beauty ; ' some annotations to Du Presnoy's ' Art of Painting,' and his ' Discourses on Painting/ which formed his yearly addresses to the students of the Royal Academy, were not only so admirable in their precepts and art teaching, but of so high literary merit, that he was at the time, though it is now known unjustly, denied the full merit of their authorship. He paid a short visit to Holland and Flan- ders in 1781, and again in 1783, and pub- lished an account of his journey. He had returned from Italy with almost a loss of hearing, but during a long and particularly successful fife haa enjoyed uninterrupted health. He was of a mild and amiable temper ; happy in disposition, and possess- ing social qualities wluch made his company desirable. With a careless hospitality he drew round him many of the most distin- guished persons of his time, and by his genius in his art, no less than by distin- guished abilities and high personal charac- ter, he gave a position to the new Academv, and especially to his profession, which it
