Innovation is at the heart of the National Gallery's British collection. William Hogarth developed a fascinating new form of satirical narrative painting; George Stubbs turned horse painting into an epic art form; and, Joseph Wright captured the drama of science in a way that no one had before. Constable's canvases stunned observers in Paris, and Turner's unprecedented use of colour divided the British art establishment. This book traces some key developments in British eighteenth- and nineteenth-century painting, focusing in particular on the outstanding portraits and landscapes in the National Gallery's collection. Compare what rival portraits Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds offered their sitters: the choice between shimmering colours and expressive brushwork, or ennobling classical references. Their techniques and philosophical ideals would be challenged and developed even further by the next generation. The ground-breaking landscapes that Constable and Turner produced inspired French Impressionists, and are still among the world's favourite paintings today.
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