Mrs Mary Nesbitt
1781
Sir Joshua Reynolds captured the glamorous Mrs. Mary Nesbitt in 1781, sporting the towering, powdered hairdos that were all the rage in 18th-century London society. Clutching a gentle white dove to her shoulder, she embodies the era's fascination with classical purity and sentimental virtue, posing with undeniable star power. Reynolds was a master of elevating his sitters by giving them the dignity of ancient heroes, though here he keeps things delightfully intimate against a moody, shadowed backdrop.