Kenwood House, Joshua Reynolds at 300 exhibition

A self portrait from 1788 - depicting himself with glasses - and Miss Cocks and her Niece, one of his last paintings before losing his sight - are among 17 paintings on show in Reynolds at Kenwood.

Catherine Moore was painted in Paris in 1752 when a young Reynolds was returning from studying the Old Masters in Italy. And three show-stopping full-length portraits from the 1770s to 1780s: Mrs Tollemache as Miranda, Lady Louisa Manners and Mrs Musters as Hebe show the role-playing ‘Grand Manner’ portraiture for which Reynolds became famous, assigning characters and narratives from literature, mythology, and history to his sitters.

A self-portrait from 1788 aged 65 depicting the artist with glasses. (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

Born the son of a schoolmaster on July 16, 1723, Reynolds became the leading English portrait artist of his day, painting society families, aristocrats, crowned heads, politicians and celebrities like his friends Dr Johnson and actor David Garrick.

He was also the first President of The Royal Academy after organising a petition to King George III to found a 'Royal Academy of Arts' with art school and annual exhibition of work by living artists - which survives today as The Summer Exhibition.

William Murray the 1st Early of Mansfield by John Jackson RA inspired by Joshua Reynolds portrait of the judge painted in 1785 (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

Reynolds' association with Kenwood dates back to owner William Murray, the 1st Earl of Mansfield, who sat for Reynolds at the mansion in 1785. Costing 100 guineas, the portrait is the defining image of the great judge - with the doors to the Adam Library and columns of Kenwood's antechamber in the background.

In December 1785, Lord Mansfield wrote to the Duke of Rutland: 'The picture Sir Joshua has done of me is generally thought to be finely done… He took a great deal of pains, and had been trying for a great many years to get me to sit to him.'

However the artist was criticised for not flattering his 81-year-old sitter. Reynolds wrote to the Duke of Rutland: 'He should have sat eight or ten years before… I have made him exactly what he is now, as if I was upon oath to give the truth and nothing but the truth. I think it necessary to treat great men with this reverence, tho I really think His Lordship would not have been displeased if this strict adherence to the truth had been dispensed with, and drawn a few years younger.'

Reynolds early portrait of Catherine Moore (1852) was done in Paris after spending two years studying the Old Masters in Italy. (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

Almost 150 years later later, Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh bequeathed Kenwood to the nation along with a collection of 63 paintings. Among the treasure trove of work by Rembrandt and Vermeer were fourteen portraits by Reynolds. In the years since, these have been joined by three works that were once owned by Lord Iveagh, and donated to Kenwood by his descendants.

The Children of John Julius Angerstein (1782-83) by Sir Joshua Reynolds. (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

Lord Iveagh's outstanding collection reflects the enduring fame and popularity of Reynolds after his death, and his mastery of colour and inventiveness of composition.

English Heritage's curator at Kenwood Louise Cooling said they will be displayed in the Breakfast and Music rooms: "Joshua Reynolds’ effect on British art in the eighteenth century was truly transformative, and it’s a privilege to be able to mark the tercentenary of his birth with such a rich collection of his paintings," she said.

"From his admiration of the ‘Old Masters’ to his experimental – and often divisive – techniques, he created portraits imbued with the heroic and poetic. As President of the Royal Academy, Reynolds used his influence to raise the status of British art and artists.

Lady Mary Leslie (1764) by Sir Joshua Reynolds (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

"We know Reynolds painted Lord Mansfield here in 1785, so beginning with one of his early works and charting the course of his life to the final poignant portrait before his death, Kenwood uniquely celebrates Reynolds’ legacy."

Sadly the faded and cracked condition of many of Reynolds’ paintings, including a number in Kenwood's collection, reflect his experiments with different materials. In trying to emulate the tone and depth of the Old Masters, his use of pigments, wax, resins and varnishhave aged badly.

"Two paintings Master Philip Yorke and Miss Cocks and her Niece have recently undergone gas chromatography mass spectrometry and infrared and x-ray imaging to assess their condition. Although Master Philip Yorke was unable to be conserved, Miss Cocks and her Niece has been cleaned by conservators, wiping away the yellowing varnish to reveal vivid blues and rosy cheeks."

Kitty Fisher as Cleopatra by Sir Joshua Reynolds (Image: The Iveagh Bequest/English Heritage)

Reynolds at Kenwood runs from July 13 until November 19 and includes a digital guide on a free app with audio tour, interactive trail and film exploring the stories behind the paintings and patrons.