Thisself-portraitwasprobablypaintedsoonafterReynoldssetupastudioinLondonin1753.HehadspentthepreviousthreeyearsstudyingartinItaly.ThepersonalconnectionsandartisticambitionsReynoldsdevelopedwhenhewasabroadservedhimwell.Theseyearsmarkedthebeginningofacarefully-managedandhugelysuccessfulcareer.Thisself-portrait,whichdeliberatelyechoesfamousimagesbyRembrandt,signalshisartisticaspirations.Suchposturings