Sir Joshua Reynolds was considered one of the most sought-after portrait artists of 18th-century England, though he was unpopular with the reigning George III. Reynolds studied under Thomas Hudson and Joseph Wright of Derby, and drew influence from Old Masters like Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt van Rijn. His style was an amalgamation of his international influences, characterized by dramatic lighting, rich colors, and poses borrowed from classical paintings. He became the first president of the Royal Academy upon its founding in 1768 and there delivered his famous and widely influential lectures, the “Discourses on Art”. Reynolds became an important figure not only to his students, but subsequent generations of portrait artists, including Thomas Lawrence and Henry Raeburn.