The seventeenth century was characterized by “top down” production of designed goods – that is, those at the top of the social ladder initiated demand that was filled by those who worked for them. explain who was at the top and who worked for them. who were the designers in this era, and how were they trained?

In response to Reynolds' portrait, the English artist, Thomas Gainsborough, made a second portrait of Mrs. Siddons the next year. Gainsborough was considered to be one of the leading portraitists in England (although we can see that he has a different approach). He concentrates on the actress' glamour, emphasizing her material splendor—through the blue and yellow silks and luxurious fur. She, too, looks offto the left, yet she is portrayed as herself, not a character in a theatrical drama. The painting was described by a later critic of art as, "the portrait is so
Dr. Terry-Fritsch/ Western Art II—Lecture 21