Dimensions: support: 1270 x 1016 mm frame: 1510 x 1260 x 125mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is Sir Joshua Reynolds’ portrait of Sir James Hodges, currently at the Tate. It strikes me how much detail is dedicated to Hodges's clothing and the objects on his desk. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Notice how Reynolds meticulously renders the textures of Hodges’s garments: the velvet, the lace, the paper in his hand. This level of detail signals Hodges's status, achieved through consumption and perhaps exploitation of labour to produce the materials. Editor: So, the painting isn’t just about Hodges, but also about the social and economic systems that allowed him to acquire such finery? Curator: Precisely. Reynolds highlights the *making* of Hodges's image as much as the man himself. Editor: I hadn't considered the work involved in creating those materials, or how the portrait displays his wealth. Thanks! Curator: It's a reminder that even seemingly straightforward portraits are deeply embedded in material and social realities.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/reynolds-sir-james-hodges-n03545
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In this portrait, James Hodges is depicted in his capacity as Town Clerk and Deputy Chamberlain of the City of London. Hodges's official robes are worn over a claret-coloured velvet suit with lace ruffles, his powdered bob-wig reinforcing his sense of dignity. The pose adopted by Hodges is common in Reynolds's portraits of men in public office. It was derived ultimately from Italian Renaissance portraiture, where it was invariably reserved for scholarly, patriarchal figures. Reynolds purchased the chair in which Hodges is seated especially for his portrait sitters. It now belongs to the Royal Academy of Arts. Gallery label, August 2004
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