UNIT 7. The World of Painting » Стр.188 (3)

Sir Joshua Reynolds was the most well-known portraitist of the second half of 18th century. In December 1768 the Royal Academy was founded and Reynolds became its first president. He created a whole gallery of portraits of the most famous people of that period. He usually painted his characters in heroic master and showed them as the best people of the nation. But the leading portraitist of his day was Thomas Lawrence. He became painter George III in 1792 and president of the Royal Academy (1820—1830). Queen Charlotte is one of his finest portraits. Thomas Gainsborough, one of the greatest of the English School, was a portraitist and a landscape painter. His portraits are painted in clear tones. Blue and green are his favorite colour. One of the most famous works is the Portrait of the Duchess of Beaufort. He managed to create a true impression sitter. Gainsborough greatly influenced the English school as landscape painting. He was one of the first English artists to paint 'his native- land -(Slinset, -The Bridge and others’). He was the first English artist to paint his native countryside so sincerely. His works contain much poetry and music. He is sometimes considered the forerunner of the impressionists. John Constable, an English landscape painter, painted many outstanding works (A Cottage in a Cornfield, The Lipch). He is the first landscape painter who considered that every painter should make his sketches directly from nature working in the open air. His technique and coloring are very close as the painting. Constable ignored the rules established by Reynolds. His insisted that art should be based on observation of nature and feeling. His was the herald of romanticism. But like realistic aunties of his art are sensed very strongly.