In Tate Britain
- Artist
- Sir Joshua Reynolds 1723–1792
- Medium
- Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions
- Support: 889 × 686 mm
frame: 1093 × 893 × 92 mm - Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Sir William Agnew Bt 1903
- Reference
- N01924
Display caption
Elizabeth Hartley (1751-1824) is depicted here as a mythological figure. She holds a young Bacchus, the ancient Greco-Roman god of wine and festivity. By the time this painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1773, Hartley was one of the most celebrated actresses on the London stage. Reynolds exhibited this painting with the title ‘A Nymph with Young Bacchus’. It was not presented as a portrait of Mrs Hartley, but as a subject or ‘fancy’ picture. Such pictures incorporated imagined elements into a scene, particularly of women and children.
Gallery label, October 2023
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.
Explore
- people(22,072)
-
- actions: expressive(2,622)
-
- supporting(91)
- adults(20,120)
-
- woman(9,110)
- children(2,479)
- named individuals(12,887)
-
- Hartley(1)
- nudes(2,569)
-
- male(959)
- portraits(4,491)
-
- individuals: female(1,698)
- classical myths: creatures(143)
-
- nymph(43)
- dress: fantasy/fancy(506)
- mother and child(394)
You might like
-
Sir Joshua Reynolds The Holy Family with the Infant St John
1788–9 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Master Crewe as Henry VIII
c.1775 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Three Ladies Adorning a Term of Hymen
1773 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds A Child’s Portrait in Different Views: ‘Angel’s Heads’
1786–7 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds The Age of Innocence
?1788 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Mr Huddesford and Mr Bampfylde
c.1778 -
Benjamin West Mrs Worrell as Hebe
c.1775–8 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds A Nymph and Cupid: ‘The Snake in the Grass’
exhibited 1784 -
Manner of Sir Joshua Reynolds Mrs Fox
c.1780 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Self-Portrait as a Deaf Man
c.1775 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds The Hon. Miss Monckton
1777–8 -
After Sir Joshua Reynolds Puck or Robin Goodfellow
date not known -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Lady Talbot
exhibited 1782 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn and his Mother
c.1768–9 -
Sir Joshua Reynolds Mrs Richard Cumberland
?1763