Indeed indeed there IS a strong connection between Truro and Joshua Reynolds which your ignorant blogger had not realised until now.
Sir Joshua Reynolds was devoted to his niece THEOPHILA PALMER- he painted numerous portraits of her. In 1770 she moved into his London home where she acted as hostess and housekeeper- Reynolds being unmarried.
"Offy" as she was popularly known, was an artist herself.
In January 1781 she married Robert Lovell Gwatkin and moved away from the Reynolds house.
Where did she live?
Truro!
Certainly from 1783 until 1813 the Gwatkins resided at Killiow, that fine Georgian residence at Playing Place which was then newly constructed by Gwatkin himself.
Thus it is that there were Reynolds pictures hanging at Killiow, including that superb portrait of Offy reading (which does not look so good in the image I have attached)
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