What did Joshua Reynolds blue plaque do at 5 Great Newport Street?

The Story

Looking up at this modest building in Great Newport Street, you're standing at the spot where Joshua Reynolds first made his mark on London's art world. It was here, in 1753, that the ambitious 29-year-old painter set up his first London studio after returning from Italy, transforming the space into a bustling portrait workshop where he would begin building his reputation as England's preeminent portraitist. During his eight years at this address, Reynolds painted some of the era's most influential figures, including Lord Keppel and the Duke of Devonshire, with the success of these early portraits allowing him to later move to the more fashionable Leicester Square. This Great Newport Street studio represents Reynolds's crucial launching pad - the place where he established his distinctive style and began cultivating the high-society connections that would help him become the first president of the Royal Academy of Arts.