Figures & Faces 1700–1820

A selection of our finest 18th-century figure paintings and portraits, including Watteau and Ramsay.

Representing the human figure had been the cornerstone of the Western artistic tradition since ancient times. Figure painting remained the most highly regarded category of art well into the 19th century, being fostered by the art academies, life-drawing classes and apprenticeships through which most artists were trained. This selection of figure paintings falls into two main groupings – narrative compositions and portraits.

Narrative or history painting, as it was known, was essentially visual storytelling, with subjects drawn from the bible, classical mythology, ancient or modern history, and literature. During the 18th century light-hearted, imaginary ‘fancy’ pictures became popular, as did ‘genre’ subjects, drawn from everyday life, often with moralising messages.

Portraits were always in demand, both official images of rulers and other public figures, emphasising their virtues and achievements, and more informal likenesses of family and friends. Most artists painted them, and some, such as Allan Ramsay, specialised in portraiture, which offered a relatively stable source of income. Most portraits would have involved at least one ‘sitting’, when the artist would have sketched or studied the subject from life to ensure a true likeness.