British art of the 18th century

The age of Enlightenment is most closely associated with scientists and inventors, but writers and artists also played major roles. They helped spread enlightenment concepts via the written word and printed image, and inspired others to think rationally about the world in which they lived.

Christopher Wren, Saint Paul's Cathedral, begun 1675, completed 1711, London — Like a phoenix, this church rose from the ashes. Wren’s enormous dome was the first of its kind in England.

Wren, Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Joseph Wright of Derby, A Philosopher Giving a Lecture at the Orrery, detail — This scene resembles a religious conversion, yet the central planetary model is only miraculous in its mechanics.

Joseph Wright of Derby, A Philosopher Giving ...

Thomas Gainsborough, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, c. 1750, oil on canvas, 69.8 x 119.4 cm (The National Gallery, London) — With its relaxed poses and outdoor setting, this portrait exemplifies the “conversation piece.” But is it finished?

Thomas Gainsborough, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews

William Hogarth, A Rake's Progress, plate 4, 1735, engraving on paper, 35.5 x 31 cm — This satirical series charts the fall of a womanizer whose decadent lifestyle lands him in debt, then bedlam.

William Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress

William Hogarth, Marriage a-la-Mode, c. 1743 (detail) — Smooth talkers, vain aristocrats, disreputable doctors, unfaithful lovers—Hogarth’s moralizing takes no prisoners.

William Hogarth, Marriage A-la-Mode

Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lady Cockburn and Her Three Eldest Sons, 1773, oil on canvas, 55-3/4 x 44-1/2 inches (141.5 x 113 cm) (National Gallery, London) -thumb — What’s with the parrot? Balancing the composition, Reynolds added his own feathery pet to this handsome family.

Sir Joshua Reynolds, Lady Cockburn and Her ...