Image source about the 18th century.
Keira Knightly as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire in the film “The Duchess”.
“Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire”, Thomas Gainsborough, 1787.
I love the way the portraits are used as inspiration for all the costumes in the movie.
“The Honorable Henry Fane with Inigo Jones and Charles Blair”, 1761-66, Sir Joshua Reynolds.
Henry Fane was the 2nd son of the eighth Earl of Westmorland, he is the one sitting with the greyhound on his knee. Wearing red is Charles Blair, Fane’s brother in law and in blue is Inigo Jones, a relative of the famous architect.
“Portrait of Don Joaquín Manuel Fernández de Santa at 4 years old” by Nicolás Rodríguez Juárez, 18th century.
This newspanish boy had his portrait made by one of the last generations of great painters in the colonial times. The style is clearly of a official portrait even though the subject is a child, but it also makes clear that the boy is part of an important family: the purse on his hand links him to the Bishop of Puebla and the sword indicates a future military career.
Portrait of Mary Amelia, first Marchioness of Salisbury, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1780.
“Jane, Duchess of Gordon” by George Romney, 1778.
Portrait of an unknown young woman by Francis Cotes (1726-1770). Pastel on paper, mid 18th century.
“The Marquise d’Aigurandes” (detail) by F. Drouais, 1759.
“William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (1748-1811)”, engraving after the portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792).
“Portrait of Gerónimo Antonio Gil” by Rafael Ximeno y Planes, 18th century, National Museum of Art (MUNAL), Mexico.
“Portrait of an unknown man” by Allan Ramsay (1713-1784).
Don’t know what do you think of this portrait, but I LOVE it.
“The Blue Boy”, 1770, Thomas Gainsborough. The theory says that this is the portrait of Jonathan Butall (who I like to imagine as a handsome grownup).
“Emilia Mary Boucherett with a Doll” by Sir Tomas Lawrence, 1793.
Portrait of François II of France by François Clouet.
I know! this is so NOT 18th century, but I totally love this portrait u.u
“Mathilde de Canisy, Marquise d’Antin” by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1738.
“Colonel George K. H. Coussmaker, Grenadier Guards” by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1782.
