Jonathan Richardson

Jonathan Richardson (1667-1745), often designated "the Elder" to distinguish him from his son, was a pivotal figure in the early eighteenth-century English art world, operating simultaneously as a respected portraitist, a discerning collector of drawings, and a groundbreaking writer on artistic theory. Working almost exclusively in London, Richardson’s technical mastery earned him considerable recognition during his lifetime, being considered by some critics as one of the three foremost painters of his era.

Though his core body of work focused on portraiture, Richardson’s artistic legacy is preserved across media. His surviving portfolio includes several oil paintings and a significant collection of preparatory drawings, ranging from character studies like Man's Head to formal commissions such as Sir Andrew Fountaine. Examples of his sensitive draughtsmanship and introspection, including his numerous Zelfportret van Jonathan Richardson studies, are held in major international institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Rijksmuseum.

Richardson’s influence extended beyond the canvas through his celebrated studio practice. He established a crucial mentorship lineage for later generations of British artists, training both George Knapton and, perhaps most notably, Thomas Hudson. Hudson, in turn, became the master of Sir Joshua Reynolds, positioning Richardson as a foundational intellectual pillar beneath the subsequent Golden Age of British painting.

Richardson was arguably even more instrumental as an intellectual authority than as a practicing artist. His 1715 treatise, An Essay on the Theory of Painting, stands as the first significant work of artistic theory published in the English language. This seminal volume provided an unprecedented framework for conceptual art study, directly inspiring the young Joshua Reynolds not just to paint, but to rigorously theorise about his practice and the philosophy behind it. In doing so, Richardson shifted the focus of English art discussion from mere patronage toward a deeper aesthetic engagement. Today, these seminal Jonathan Richardson paintings and related drawings are increasingly available for study, often found as high-quality prints through public domain initiatives worldwide.