This collection of lectures by Joshua Reynolds, president of the Royal Academy of Arts in London in the late 18th century, cover a range of topics related to art and its place in society. Reynolds discusses topics such as the purpose of art and the qualities of a great artist, and provides insight into the art world of the era. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.