Reply to Paul Talk, Reynolds was mocking the art of Boucher, Boucher drew from models all his life. I slipped up and said Reynold's, when i meant to say Boucher. Reynolds did not like the art of Boucher, so he made up the story to put Boucher in a negative light. For Reynold's painting solely from the imagination was a conceit, and that is why he made up the story as he saw Bouchers work as decadent. Paul talk is writing a book on painting, i suggest he removes the anecdote.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oswRnbjlujw