The National Trust at Saltram have partnered with The Box to exchange works from their collections to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of one of England’s greatest artists Sir Joshua Reynolds.
To Tell Them Where It’s Got To a small painting by artist Lynette Yiadom-Boakye loaned by The Box, is now hanging in the Red Room at Saltram in place of Joshua Reynolds’ portrait of Francesco Bartolozzi (1773), encouraging a comparison of different approaches to portraiture.
In return, two paintings from Saltram are shown at The Box in Reframing Reynolds: A Celebration. These are Reynolds’ portrait of Florentine engraver Bartolozzi and one of the artist’s great works, the newly cleaned portrait of Theresa Parker which was completed in 1773.
In contrast to the surrounding historic painting collection at Saltram, depicting known people in public displays of status, Yiadom-Boakye is inspired to create paintings of invented people created from found images, and her imagination.
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye initially learned to paint by working from life but changed her approach whilst studying at Falmouth School of Art. She realised she was less interested in making portraits and more in the act of painting itself. The painting displayed was shown in 2022 at Tate Britain in the arist’s solo international touring exhibition and can be seen hung at Saltram until the end of October.
It is the first time in 250 years that Joshua Reynolds’ full-length portrait of his patron and friend Theresa Parker has been displayed outside of Saltram’s Saloon – the place for which it was commissioned – since its completion and display at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1733.
The painting recently underwent cleaning at the Trust’s Royal Oak Foundation Conservation Studio and will return to Saltram for visitors to view again from 2024. In the interim a print of the painting by Thomas Watson is displayed at Saltram in its place. Theresa Parker commissioned the print in part because her brother in Spain was desperate to see the painting.
Victoria Pomery, chief executive at The Box said:
“Staging a major exhibition like ‘Reframing Reynolds: A Celebration’ would not be possible without the support of a range of partners, so we’re delighted to have collaborated with the National Trust to help tell the story of Reynolds’ life and career, and to have loaned a work to them as well.
Saltram’s grand portrait of Theresa Parker is the first painting visitors see when they arrive in the exhibition and it looks stunning post-conservation. In return, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye has received great acclaim for her paintings in recent years, and we hope audiences to Saltram House will enjoy making the connections between her work and the other historic paintings it’s displayed alongside.”
Reframing Reynolds: A Celebration is at The Box until October 29.
