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18th-century Britain

Works made in Britain in the 18th century.

42 works · hang 6271 ·

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

Walk this roomRehang this room

First room, north wall

  1. 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
  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. 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
  4. 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

First room, south wall

  1. This is a drawing showing a pig performing a trick for an audience. It depicts a group of people watching the pig interacting with cards on the floor. The detailed image shows the varied facial expressions of the audience members. There is text at the top of the image suggesting the pig has a unique ability, possibly related to languages. The drawing captures a moment of entertainment in a satirical style, with lines and cross-hatching used to emphasize the humor.
    The Wonderful PigThomas Rowlandson, 1785Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Portrait of Catherine Grey, Lady Manners, by Thomas Lawrence, 1794
    Portrait of Catherine Grey, Lady MannersThomas Lawrence, 1794Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. A work made of varnished gouache, over black and red chalks, on cream laid paper, laid down on canvas, stretched on a wooden stretcher and varnished again.
    Wooded Landscape with Village SceneThomas Gainsborough, early 1770s (not later than 1772)Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Second room, south wall

  1. 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
  2. Small Landscape, ca. 1750-1800
    Small LandscapeUnrecorded British maker, ca. 1750-1800Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  3. This is a drawing of a seated figure on a large bird. The image depicts a classically draped figure seated on a stylized bird. The figure holds an open book and gazes into the distance. The bird has sharp features and spread wings. The background contains swirling clouds. The scene is framed with a border, and there is text at the bottom. The lines are bold and the shades are muted.
    Saint John the EvangelistJohn Skippe, 1771Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Second room, north wall

  1. Captain George K. H. Coussmaker (1759–1801), by Joshua Reynolds, 1782
    Captain George K. H. Coussmaker (1759–1801)Joshua Reynolds, 1782Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. 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
  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

Third room, north wall

  1. The image depicts a portrait of an individual with the upper half of their body visible. The person is facing forward with their head slightly turned to the side, looking directly at the viewer. They have a fair complexion, with distinct facial features, including a rounded face and closed lips. The hair is styled in an 18th-century manner, with curls around the ears. They are wearing a dark coat with red lapels and brass buttons, over a white shirt with ruffled details. There are no visible jewelry or objects in their hands. The background is a textured, earth-toned surface.
    William PittGainsborough Dupont, 1787/1796Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. John Johnstone, Betty Johnstone, and Miss Wedderburn, by Sir Henry Raeburn, c. 1790/1795
    John Johnstone, Betty Johnstone, and Miss WedderburnSir Henry Raeburn, c. 1790/1795Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Portrait of the Ladies Amabel and Mary Jemima Yorke, by Joshua Reynolds, c. 1761
    Portrait of the Ladies Amabel and Mary Jemima YorkeJoshua Reynolds, c. 1761Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art