The National Trust has permanently acquired two significant works by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) through the UK government’s Acceptance in Lieu scheme. David Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy (1761) and Portrait of Joanna Leigh, Mrs Richard Bennett Lloyd (1775–76) have long been on loan to Waddesdon Manor, where they have become highlights of the collection.
The paintings come from the estate of Jacob, 4th Baron Rothschild (1936–2024), the philanthropist and cultural patron who played a central role in shaping Waddesdon’s holdings. Under his stewardship, the Rothschild Foundation brought new acquisitions into the Manor, ranging from 18th-century portraiture to contemporary commissions.
Reynolds’s Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy is both a portrait of the era’s most celebrated actor and a statement of the painter’s ambitions. Garrick, caught between the muses of Tragedy and Comedy, turns laughingly toward the latter—his animated gesture signalling a departure from old theatrical conventions. The portrait has long been considered a theatrical manifesto, as well as a bravura demonstration of Reynolds’s technical range.
By contrast, Joanna Leigh, Mrs Richard Bennett Lloyd, presents an idealised image of a young woman inscribing her husband’s name onto a tree. The work blends classical costume with natural landscape, showcasing Reynolds’s ability to transform portraiture into a poetic narrative. At the time of its making, Reynolds was not only London’s most sought-after portraitist but also president of the newly established Royal Academy.
“These two paintings show Reynolds at his absolute best,” said John Chu, Senior National Curator for the National Trust. “The Garrick portrait is both a performance and a self-advertisement. The Joanna Leigh portrait is one of the most romantic images of the 18th century. Together they demonstrate why Reynolds was considered the foremost portraitist of his age.”
Dame Hannah Rothschild, daughter of Jacob Rothschild, remarked that her father “would be so happy to know that they will hang in pride of place at Waddesdon Manor for every visitor to see and enjoy.”
The acquisitions, valued at £24.5 million in total, were secured via the Acceptance in Lieu scheme, which allows works of cultural significance to enter public collections in place of tax liabilities. Both paintings will remain at Waddesdon, where they join Reynolds’s rivals and contemporaries, including Thomas Gainsborough, in one of the country’s most distinguished 18th-century collections.