stocrats. Most paintings of these subjects were very formal and flaunted the subject's possessions. This was very popular because these portraits reflected whom the subjects were and how they wanted to be portrayed. It was important because these pictures were very public; they were probably hung where people could see them. Their sitter's attire, jewellery, pose were important because it all made a very large statement and added to the affect of the painting. Also, if one owned such paintings they would be one of taste. There was only few that could afford portraitures, thus they were the only ones that had "taste." But it has been disputed on whose taste it was; that of the owner of the painting or of the artist painting it.
             During the eighteenth century many British portraits had been influenced by Sir Anthony van Dyck. Van Dyck was a Flemish painter that had a style all his own. He often flattered his subjects by exaggerating characteristics and using mythological references in his paintings. Most of his paintings were very grand and full length. Van Dyck should be credited with a great involvement of the works of many British artists. We can see the van Dyck style in Joshua Reynolds' portrait of Commodore Keppel. Reynolds painted Keppel in a very heroic manner with a very dramatic setting-a rocky shore. Keppel is painted in full length, in stride and outreached arm, with one hand on the handle of his sword. This pose refers to a statue Reynolds had seen in Italy of Apollo Belvedere, which adds to the sophistication of this painting by showing that he was educated on foreign arts. We can see in this painting the great influence that van Dyck had on Reynolds' painting.
             Reynolds is another influential painter of the later eighteenth century. He raised the tone for British portraiture by introducing imagery, themes and techniques that were borrowed from painters he had seen abroad. We have already seen his referen...