"Every seminary of learning may be said to be surrounded with an atmosphere of floating knowledge, where every mind may imbibe somewhat congenial to its own original conceptions."
Seven Discourses Delivered in the Royal Academy by the President [Discourses on Art]
From 1769 to 1772 Reynolds' lectures were delivered annually, with each discourse published shortly after its delivery. After 1772, the lectures were delivered biennially. The first seven discourses were collected and published together in 1778. In 1797, the first collected edition of all fifteen appeared, with a second edition issued in 1798. See the <a href="http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/23429?docPos=1">ODNB</a>.<br>
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Sir Joshua Reynolds, <u>Seven Discourses Delivered in the Royal Academy by the President</u> (London: T. Cadell, 1778). &lt;<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=FS4GAAAAQAAJ">Link to Google Books</a>&gt;&lt;<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2176/2176-h/2176-h.htm">Link to Project Gutenberg</a>&gt;