''Thaïs'' is a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds of the English

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other ...

Emily Warren Emily Warren Schwartz (born August 25, 1992) is an American singer and songwriter signed to the label Prescription Songs. She is best known for the songs she has written for several high-profile pop artists, including Backstreet Boys, The Cha ...

in the guise of the ''

hetaera Hetaira (plural hetairai (), also hetaera (plural hetaerae ), ( grc, ἑταίρα, "companion", pl. , la, hetaera, pl. ) was a type of prostitute in ancient Greece, who served as an artist, entertainer and conversationalist in addition to pro ...

Thaïs Thaïs or Thais ( el, Θαΐς; flourished 4th century BC) was a famous Greek ''hetaira'' who accompanied Alexander the Great on his campaigns. Likely from Athens, she is most famous for instigating the burning of Persepolis. At the time, Thaï ...

, mistress of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

. It is in oil on canvas and measures 229 x 145 cm. She holds a burning torch and with the other hand exhorts Alexander and his followers to burn down

Persepolis , native_name_lang = , alternate_name = , image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. , map = , map_type ...

. Reynolds exhibited it at the Royal Academy in London in 1781."The Modern Apelles: Joshua Reynolds and the creation of celebrity" by Martin Postle in

Martin Postle Martin Postle is a British art historian who is deputy director for collections and publications at the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London, and a leading expert on the art of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He is a former curator at the ...

(Ed.) (2005) ''Joshua Reynolds: The creation of celebrity''. London: Tate Publishing. pp. 29-30. It is now at

Waddesdon Manor Waddesdon Manor is a English country house, country house in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. Owned by National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation ...

. The painting was published as a print engraved by

Francesco Bartolozzi __NOTOC__ Francesco Bartolozzi (21 September 1727, in Florence – 7 March 1815, in Lisbon) was an Italian engraver, whose most productive period was spent in London. He is noted for popularizing the "crayon" method of engraving. Early life B ...

in 1792.

History of creation

In his work, Reynolds combined a portrait, historical painting and social overtones. The image is inspired by John Dryden's poem "The Feast of Alexander" ("Thaïs led the Way / To light him to his Prey / And, like another Helen, fir'd another Troy'"), which describes an episode of the second Greco-Persian war. Hetera Tais, who accompanied the Macedonian army, at a victorious feast after the capture of the Achaemenid capital of Persepolis, calls for burning the city, thus taking revenge on the Persians for the ruin of Greek cities. The model was the courtesan Emily, mistress of Charles Greville. Some researchers have suggested that Emma Lyon, also Greville's mistress and future Lady Hamilton, posed for the picture. However, it is more likely that Emily Bertie Pott, who also called herself Emily Warren, is portrayed as Thais, and a likely portrait of her by Romney is exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Inv. No. 58.102.2). The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1781 and provoked an ironic comment from one of the viewers, who claimed that the artist, having not received payment for his work from Emily, depicted her setting fire to the Temple of Chastity, indicating her status. Some of Reynolds's acquaintances denied this story, however, as Phillippa Plock, former curator at Waddesdon Manor, notes, it is quite possible that the artist wanted the picture to be associated with women like Emily, when the very name of the famous hetaera meant a courtesan.

References

Portraits by Joshua Reynolds 1781 paintings Waddesdon Manor Paintings in South East England Cultural depictions of Thaïs {{18C-painting-stub