ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to discuss the monographic show in the light of its contribution to the contrasted perception of Reynolds' work. It investigates the reasons surrounding this show and its impact on the master's critical fortune and the debate on national art. The chapter discusses the exhibition and its organisation, focusing on its display and on the genesis of the gallery itself. It describes the event into context by discussing Reynolds' monographic exhibitions and particularly the 1813 show which took place at the British Institution. The chapter examines the shift of perception and the process of deconstruction and reconstruction of Reynolds' image during the Victorian era. The Grosvenor show represented indeed a pretext to cope with such criticism, Goodwin notably insisting on the importance of this exhibition for Reynolds' perception, stating, in his review that indeed, 'This is the answer to those who tell us that Reynolds was a snob'.
