French and British Art
The artworks in this room were mostly made in France and Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In London the foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768 prompted a sharp rise in the number of British artists entering the profession, particularly those specialising in portrait and landscape painting. British paintings had a profound influence on French artists who either visited or saw the works published in print.
Scroll down to find the key objects to look for on each tour.
Star object
Lady Caroline Price
- Sir Joshua Reynolds
- 1787
- Oil on canvas
- Britain
Caroline Price was the wife of the landowner and landscape theorist Uvedale Price. This portrait of her is remarkable for its intensity of colour. Reynolds tended to mix carmine red in with his white paint, which faded drastically over time, leaving his subjects with strikingly pale features. Yet here Reynolds used vermilion, a brilliant red that resists such fading.
Artists and makers
Unknown Woman (called Miss Turner)
- George Romney
- 1770s
- Oil on canvas
- Britain
George Romney was one of the most fashionable English portraitists of his day. He painted many leading society figures, including his muse, Emma Hamilton, the mistress of Lord Nelson.
This, however, is not one of Romney’s most accomplished portraits. The subject’s facial features and dress lack the precision of his finished pictures, while her head and torso appear unusually small in proportion to the size of the canvas. Romney left the work unfinished, indicating that he was dissatisfied with it.
