Portrait of a Woman
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
29 5/8 x 24 1/2 in. (75.2 x 62.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935
Accession Number
42.152.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of Britain's foremost portrait painters of the 18th century and the first President of the Royal Academy of Arts, masterfully captures the poise and refinement of his subject in *Portrait of a Woman*. Created in oil on canvas—a medium Reynolds favored for its rich textures and luminous effects—this work exemplifies his "Grand Manner" style, blending classical idealism with contemporary realism to elevate everyday sitters into timeless figures of grace. Measuring 29 5/8 x 24 1/2 inches, the painting showcases Reynolds' innovative techniques, such as loose, fluid brushw...
About the Artist
Sir Joshua Reynolds · 1723–1792
Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) was a British painter who became the dominant figure in eighteenth-century British art and the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts. Born in Plympton, Devon, he studied under the portrait painter Thomas Hudson in London, and a transformative visit to Italy (1749–52) — where he studied the Old Masters, particularly the Venetian colorists and Michelangelo — sh...