Reynolds

Library Journal

Sir Joshua Reynolds played an important and varied role in late 18th century English life. As the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, Reynolds had a great influence on British art; as the preeminent portrait painter he left a definitive record of his period, and as a cultivated man of his time he was a friend of the many actors and writers who so enriched their century. Published on the occasion of an exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1986, with essays by eminent scholars, this work provides fine color reproductions, many for the first time, with biographical details of the sitters, and examines, as well, the sketchbooks and carica tures. An extensive bibliography completes this excellent volume. Highly recommended. Paula Frosch, Metropolitan Museum Lib., N.Y.