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18th-century Britain

Works made in Britain in the 18th century.

42 works · hang 5128 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. A work made of red chalk on cream laid paper.
    Self-PortraitJohn Flaxman, c. 1779Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of brush and black ink wash, with pen and black ink and opaque white and gray watercolor, on cream laid paper.
    A Hero Born on a Bier, from The Master of Giants PortfolioPrince Hoare, 1779Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of etching on ivory laid paper.
    Death on a Pale HorseJoseph Haynes, 1784, after the drawing of 1775Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Mr. Quick as Vellum in Addison's DrummerSamuel De Wilde, 1792Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

First room, south wall

  1. From a rocky shoreline, we look on several light-skinned people working by the sea with a boat and a net in this freely painted, almost square seascape. The scene is framed by a silhouette of low boulders along the lower right corner, and a towering cream-white rock rising two-thirds of the way up the composition to our left. Scrubby, celery-green vegetation grows on the rocky outcropping. Near the center, close to the towering white rocks, three people sit, reaching for something near one end of a boat while a fourth person braces against the rock, presumably to push the boat out to the sea. Closer to us, three people on the shore work with a net. Two stand with the net hooked over their shoulders, and a third person crouches in the water with head down. The people all wear simple shirts and pants in shades of tan, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and pale blue. All but two wear hats. The sea meets the shore with frothy white foam and cresting, low waves. The sea beyond fades from pale sage green to arctic blue along the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up the composition. Two sail boats tilt against the wind in the distance. Pale, smoky lavender-purple clouds drift across the ice-blue sky.
    Seashore with FishermenThomas Gainsborough, c. 1781/1782Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image shows a landscape scene from an elevated viewpoint. There are large columns of a classical ruin and a leafy tree on the left. On the right, there is a spreading tree with intricate leaves. In the background, there is a pastoral landscape with figures and animals. A shepherd and a cow are guiding a flock of sheep, and buildings can be seen in the distance. The horizon divides the image into sky and earth. The brushstrokes are detailed, capturing textures effectively. The color palette consists of earthy tones with touches of brighter colors on the figures' clothing.
    Heroic Landscape with Fisherman, Cows, and HorsemenJohn Baptist Jackson, 1744Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The Dutton Family in the Drawing Room of Sherborne Park, Gloucestershire, by Johann Zoffany, c. 1772
    The Dutton Family in the Drawing Room of Sherborne Park, GloucestershireJohann Zoffany, c. 1772Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Second room, south wall

  1. A work made of oil on canvas.
    Theophilia GwatkinJoshua Reynolds, 1776–81Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Black, gray pastel portrait of man in a fur hat.
    Self-Portrait in a Fur CapJoseph Wright of Derby, 1765/68Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of engraving in black ink with opaque and translucent watercolor on cream laid paper.
    August, from Twelve Months of FlowersHenry Fletcher, n.d.Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  4. This is a drawing of a winged figure seated on a bird. The image depicts a figure with flowing robes, wings outstretched, holding an open book in one hand. The figure appears to be looking off to the side, with a serene expression. The lower part of the image includes a bird upon which the figure is seated. The bird's head is turned slightly upwards, following the direction in which the figure is gazing. The image is rendered in a warm, monochromatic palette. In the lower section of the image, there is some text, likely Latin.
    Saint John the EvangelistJohn Skippe, 1771Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, north wall

  1. Virgil's Tomb by Moonlight, with Silius Italicus Declaiming, by Joseph Wright of Derby, 1779
    Virgil's Tomb by Moonlight, with Silius Italicus DeclaimingJoseph Wright of Derby, 1779Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. This is a drawing of a bird perched on a branch. The bird is detailed and identified as "Turtur Risorius." It rests on a green textured branch against a plain background. The bird has a black ring around its neck, soft brown plumage with intricate feather patterns, and light pink legs. Its eye is prominent and outlined within its head design. The branch is minimalist with small buds and thin twigs.
    Turtur RisoriusWilliam Home LizarsCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. A work made of pen and black ink and brush and black ink wash, with touches of pen and brown ink, on ivory laid paper.
    Hannah Presenting Samuel to EliJohn Flaxman, c. 1783Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Third room, north wall

  1. Cottage Children (The Wood Gatherers), by Thomas Gainsborough, 1787
    Cottage Children (The Wood Gatherers)Thomas Gainsborough, 1787Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a pheasant with vivid green and blue plumage and intricate golden patterns on its wings. The bird has long, patterned tail feathers extended to the right. The background includes palm trees, rocky outcrops, and distant hills.
    Phasianus VersicolorWilliam Home LizarsCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington