Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/105

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REYNOLDS. 89 REYNOLDS. tack on the Confederate left at P'redericksburg, and at Gettj-sbiirg arrived on the field about two hour.s after the righting had begun on the first day of the battle and was in cliief eouimand on the field until late in the morning (July 1st), when he was shot and instantly killed by a Con- federate sliarp-shooter. REYNOLDS, John Hamilton (1790-1852). An Englisli puet, born at Shrewsbury, Shropshire. After a secondary education, he entered in a minor capacity an insurance ollice, and in 1814 published two books of verse, Safie, an Eastern Tale, inscribed to and qualifiedly praised by Byron, of whose manner it was a frank imita- tion; and The Eden of Imaginalion, in the style of Wordsworth and Hunt. In 1S18 he obtained a post in a solicitor's office, and in the year fol- lowing published a moderately skillful parody of Wordsworth's style a poem called Peter Bell (thus antedating the actual publication of Wordsworth's poem of the name) . He was at one time a proprietor of the Aihencvum, and about 1838 removed to the Isle of Wight, where he was clerk of the county court. His best work is to be found in The Garden of Florence, and Other Poems (1821). REYNOLDS, .Joseph Jones (1822-99). An American soldier, born at Flemingsburg, Ky. He graduated at West Point in 184.3, was brevetted second lieutenant of artillery, and from 1840 to 1855 was a member of the faculty at the Military Academy. In 1857 he resigned and became pro- fessor of mechanics and engineering at Washing- ton University, fBaint Louis, but three years later gave up this position to become a merchant at Lafayette, Ind. At the outbreak of the Civil War he entered the Federal service as colonel of the Tenth Indiana Volunteers and a month later was commissioned brigadier-general of United States Volunteers. In January, 1862, he again resigned, in August was again commissioned colonel, and in September was again promoted to brigadier-general. In November he was ad- vanced to be major-general, and in 1803 partici- pated in the battles of Chickamauga and Chat- tanooga. From January to June 16, 1804, he commanded the defenses of New Orleans. He was mustered out of the volimteer service in 18G0, and was reappointed colonel of the Twenty- sixth Regular Infantry. A }-ear later he wa3 brevetted major-general and in 1877 retired from active service. REYNOLDS, Sir Joshua (1723-92). The most celebrated English portrait painter. He was born at Plympton, Devonshire. July 10, 1723. His father was the Rev. Samuel Reynolds, rector of Plympton, Saint Mary, and master of the grammar school. He intended his son for the medical profession, but Joshua, having manifested from an early age an ardent desire to be a paint- er, was, in 1741, placed under Hudson, the prin- cipal pc5rtrait painter of the day. After being in the studio of this artist two years he commenced on his own account as a portrait painter at Plym- outh Dock, now Devonport, and met with great encouragement. In 1745 he went to London and established himself in Saint Martin's Lane; but on the death of his father in 1740 he returned to Pl.ymouth Dock. Upon the invitation of Com- modore Keppel. who was in command of the Mediterranean squadron, he sailed for Italy from Plymouth in 1749, and on his arrival in Leghorn, proceeded to Rome. He stayeil about three years in Italy, most diligently employing his time in visiting tlie various cities where the cliief art col- lections are to be found. Upon his return to Lon don in 1752 his works attracted great attention, eclipsing everything that had beiii done there since Van Dyck's tinu'. When the Royal Academy was instituted in 1708 he was elected president"; he was knighted by Ceorge HI., and on Ramsay's death in 1784 succeeded him as painter to the King. He founded the Literary Club (1704) for Dr. Johnson's benefit. To him tioldsmith dedicated his Descried Villayc. He died in his Jialatial house in Leicester Scpiare on February 23, 1792, and after lying in state at the Royal Academy, was interred in the crypt of Saint Paul's. Sir Joshua was very prominent in the social world and lived in friendly intercourse with Johnson, Burke, Goldsmith, (,iib)on, Garrick, and other leading men of his period. His principal literary works consist of fifteen Discourses Be- fore the Royal Academy (1778), treatises on the history of art of a high critical and artistic value. They are written in a precise, good style, and inculcate those maxims of art commonly known as academic. The formative influence in Reynolds's art was the great Italian masters, especially the Vene- tians, Correggio, the Bolognese Eclectics, and Michelangelo. He was much of an eclectic him- self, and there was little that was strikingly original about his work. His composition and brush work were learned, but his drawing, esi)e- cially of the limbs, was often faulty. The strong point of his paintings was their color, showing the inlluence of Titian ; but Sir Joshua's tech- nical experiments had a disastrous result upon their preservation. His portraits are admirable realistic representations; the men are strong in action and character, the women gentle and pure, the children innocent and natural. They form an epitome of London society of his day. He is estimated to have painted from two to three thousand porti-aits, most of which are in English private collections. The National Gal- lery, however, possesses a number of his best works, including those of Admiral Keppel. Lord Heathfield, the Hero of Gibraltar, (ioldsmith. Dr. Johnson, Garrick, the members of the. Dilettiinte Society, and three portraits of himself. The National Portrait Gallery (London) and the Roval Academy are rich in his works, as are also the" London private galleries and the University of Oxford. Especially wortliy of mention are the portraits of Lady Coekburn and her children, the Duchess of Devonsliire (Devonshire House), Nelly O'Brien (Hertford House), and "Mrs. Sid- dons as the Tragic Muse" ( Dulwich Gallery). Although Sir Jo.shua ]n-eferred historical paint- ing, his works of this charaetei- arc less inipor- tant. There are good examples in the Hermitage Collection, Saint Petersburg, including the "Con- tinence of Scipio;" the best, perhaps, is "Ugolino and His Sons in the Tower." Among his few genre pictures are the "Girl with the Mouse- trap" (Holland House), and the "Strawberry Girl." His beautiful and well-known "Angels' Heads" (National Gallery) are in reality por- trait studies. There are also good exanii)les of Reynolds's work in the principal American col- lections. Bibliography. The older biographies of Key-