Sir Joshua Reynolds' Discourses Edited, with an Introduction, by Helen Zimmern

"Sir Joshua Reynolds' Discourses" by Joshua Reynolds presents a series of impactful speeches about art from the 1700s. The writing focuses on the core ideas of painting, how to properly teach art, and how to grow talent using the Royal Academy in England. It takes a look at important subjects like why copying other art is useful, why studying famous artists matters, and why hard work is needed to become a great artist. At the start of the Discourses, Reynolds talks about starting the Royal Academy, stressing how important it is to have an organized art school to help artists grow and improve British art. Reynolds thanks the royal family for their support and explains how the academy can help students, pushing them to follow art rules to help them learn easier. He pictures a future where young artists learn art rules and also learn to work hard and judge their own work by comparing it to famous artists, laying out the important steps to becoming a better artist.