Miss Nelly O’Brien, Sir Joshua Reynolds (1762)
Nelly O’Brien (d.1768), well-known beauty and courtesan, was a friend of Reynolds who used her as a model for his ‘fancy pictures’ and painted her portrait on several occasions.
The artist demonstrates great ability in depicting the different textures and delicate colour harmonies of the sitter’s costume, as well as the luminous effects of shadow and reflected light on the sitter’s face and bosom.
Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA FRS FRSA was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was a founder and first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, and was knighted by George III in 1769.
