The portrait of this epoch famous for its realism, brightness and expressiveness.

W. Hogarth was the first major artist to reject the foreign influence and establish a kind of art whose themes and subjects were thoroughly British.

The Shrimp Girl, , oil on canvas, National Gallery, London, UK

Captain Thomas Coram, 1740, oil on canvas, Thomas Coram Foundation for Children, London, UK

The Graham Children, 1742, oil on canvas the Gallery, London, UK

Reynolds was born at Plymton. He broke the rules and showed in his practice that the portrait could and should be also a full complex work of art on many levels. For him each model was not just a physical fact to be depicted but rather a story to be told.

Sarah Siddons as the Tragic Muse, , Oil on canvas, Henry E. Huntington Art Gallery, San Marino, CA, USA.

Contrasts of light and shade with flowing and broken lines produce an impression of animation and mobility which is characteristic of Gainsborough.

Robert Andrews and His Wife Frances, about , oil on canvas, National Gallery, London, UK

Mrs. Sarah Siddons, 1785, oil on canvas, National Gallery, London, UK

Sir J. ReynoldsT. Gainsborough

The methods of the two painters are sufficiently indicated by their respective treatment of Mrs. Siddons. "Sara Siddons by Sir J. Reynolds is represented in the form of a muse of tragedy. "A portrait of actress Sara Siddons by T. Gainsborough. The artist has underlined intelligence of a young woman.