QUICK FACTS
Created Jan 0001
Status Verified Sarcastic
Type Existential Dread
Keywords
frsa, /ˈɡeɪnzbərə/, portrait, landscape painter, draughtsman, printmaker, joshua reynolds, richard wilson, royal academy

Thomas Gainsborough

“Thomas Gainsborough RA FRSA (/ˈɡeɪnzbərə/; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker....”

Contents
  • 1. Overview
  • 2. Etymology
  • 3. Cultural Impact

Thomas Gainsborough RA FRSA (/ˈɡeɪnzbərə/ ; 14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter , draughtsman , and printmaker . Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds , [1] he stands as one of the most significant British artists to emerge in the latter half of the 18th century. [2] His technique was marked by rapid execution, and the works from his mature period are distinguished by a luminous palette and fluid brushstrokes. While he was a prolific portraitist, Gainsborough found greater personal fulfillment in his landscapes. [3] He is recognized, alongside Richard Wilson , as a pioneer of the 18th-century British landscape school. Gainsborough was also a founding member of the prestigious Royal Academy .

Youth and training

Gainsborough’s early life was steeped in the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of his family. He was born in Sudbury, Suffolk , the youngest child of John Gainsborough, a man engaged in the weaving and production of woollen goods, and his wife Mary, who was the sister of the Reverend Humphry Burroughs. [4] The Gainsborough household was a nexus of ingenuity; one of Thomas’s brothers, Humphrey , is credited with developing the crucial method of condensing steam in a separate vessel, a significant advancement that greatly benefited James Watt . Another brother, John, was known by the moniker “Scheming Jack” due to his penchant for designing intricate curiosities. [5]

The artist’s formative years were spent at what is now known as Gainsborough’s House , located on Gainsborough Street in Sudbury. This very house became his residence again following his father’s death in 1748, before his eventual relocation to Ipswich. [6] Today, the building stands as a museum dedicated to celebrating his life and artistic legacy.

From a young age, Gainsborough displayed a remarkable aptitude for drawing and painting. By the age of ten, he was already creating miniature self-portraits, as well as small landscapes and studies of heads. [7] In 1740, he departed from his family home to pursue his artistic education in London. There, he apprenticed under the engraver Hubert Gravelot [4] and became associated with the circle of William Hogarth and his contemporaries. He also lent his hand to assisting Francis Hayman in the decorative schemes for the supper boxes at Vauxhall Gardens . [4]

Career

Suffolk

The year 1746 marked a significant personal milestone for Gainsborough as he married Margaret Burr. She was the illegitimate daughter of the 3rd Duke of Beaufort , who had provided her with a settlement of £200 annually. At this stage in his career, Gainsborough’s artistic output, predominantly landscape paintings, was not achieving substantial sales. By 1748–1749, he had returned to Sudbury and began to focus more intently on portraiture. [8]

During his time in Suffolk, Gainsborough produced works such as The Rev. John Chafy Playing the Violoncello in a Landscape (c. 1750–1752), which is now housed in the Tate Gallery in London. [9]

In 1752, Gainsborough and his growing family, which now included two daughters, Mary (“Molly”, born 1750, died 1826) and Margaret (“Peggy”, born 1751, died 1820), [10] relocated to Ipswich. This move saw an increase in portrait commissions, though his clientele primarily consisted of local merchants and landed gentry. The financial strain was such that he needed to draw upon his wife’s annuity. [8] Towards the conclusion of his Ipswich period, he created a self-portrait [11] that is now a part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery, London . [12]

The artist’s family and self-portrait

  • Margaret Burr (1728–1797), the artist’s wife, c. early 1770s
  • Self-Portrait (1754)
  • The Artist’s Daughters (c. 1759)

Bath

The year 1759 saw Gainsborough and his family make another significant move, this time to the fashionable spa town of Bath . They took up residence at number 17 The Circus . [13] In Bath, Gainsborough immersed himself in the study of the works of van Dyck , and his talent soon attracted a sophisticated and affluent clientele. His participation in the annual exhibition of the Society of Artists of Great Britain began in 1761, where he presented his works at Spring Gardens in London; he had been one of the society’s earliest members. From 1769 onwards, he also began submitting his paintings to the annual exhibitions of the Royal Academy . These exhibitions were instrumental in elevating his public profile, leading to his invitation to become a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1769. However, his relationship with the institution was often fraught, and he ceased exhibiting his work there in 1773.

Despite the burgeoning popularity and success Gainsborough experienced painting portraits for the upper echelons of society during his Bath period, he often voiced his discontent. He felt the demands of portrait commissions were a hindrance to pursuing his more cherished artistic interests. In a letter penned during the 1760s to a friend, Gainsborough expressed his weariness: “I’m sick of Portraits and wish very much to take my Viol da Gamba and walk off to some sweet Village where I can paint Landskips [landscapes] and enjoy the fag End of Life in quietness and ease”. [14] He also articulated a rather cynical view of his patrons and admirers, writing:

… damn Gentlemen, there is not such a set of Enemies to a real artist in the world as they are, if not kept at a proper distance. They think … that they reward your merit by their Company & notice; but I … know that they have but one part worth looking at, and that is their Purse; their Hearts are seldom near enough the right place to get a sight of it. [15]

Gainsborough’s passion for the viol da gamba was so profound that, during this period, he owned five of these instruments, three crafted by Henry Jaye and two by Barak Norman . [16]

London

In 1774, Gainsborough and his family relocated to London, settling in Schomberg House on Pall Mall. [4] [17] A blue plaque commemorating this residence was installed in 1951. [18] By 1777, he resumed exhibiting his works at the Royal Academy, showcasing portraits of prominent contemporary figures, including the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland . His submissions to the academy’s exhibitions continued for the subsequent six years. Around this time, Gainsborough also began to explore the relatively new techniques of printmaking , specifically aquatint and soft-ground etching . [19]

Portrait of Ann Ford, 1760, Cincinnati Art Museum The Blue Boy (1770). Huntington Library , San Marino, California

Portrait of Anne, Countess of Chesterfield (1777–78), J. Paul Getty Museum . His later pictures are characterised by a light palette and easy strokes.

Throughout the 1770s and 1780s, Gainsborough developed a distinctive approach to portraiture, integrating his sitters seamlessly into their surrounding landscapes. A compelling example of this technique is his portrait of Frances Browne, Mrs John Douglas (1746–1811), displayed at Waddesdon Manor . The composition depicts the sitter in a secluded, overgrown garden, engrossed in reading a letter, her posture evoking traditional representations of melancholy. Gainsborough masterfully enhanced the connection between Mrs Douglas and her environment by employing similar silvery violet tones and fluid brushwork for both the clouds behind her and the drapery flowing across her lap. This particular portrait was featured in his inaugural private exhibition held at Schomberg House in 1784. [20]

In 1776, Gainsborough was commissioned to paint the portrait of Johann Christian Bach , [21] the youngest son of the legendary Johann Sebastian Bach . [22] The request originated from Bach’s former teacher, Padre Martini of Bologna, Italy, who was compiling a collection of portraits of prominent musicians and wished to include Bach himself. [21] This portrait now resides in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London . [21]

A significant commission came in 1780 when Gainsborough painted portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte , which subsequently led to further royal commissions. The year 1780 also saw the marriage of his daughter Molly to his musician acquaintance Johann Christian Fischer . This union caused Gainsborough considerable distress, as he suspected Fischer was pursuing Molly while simultaneously engaging in flirtatious behaviour with Peggy. [10] The marriage proved short-lived, lasting only eight months due to irreconcilable differences and Fischer’s infidelity. [10]

The death of the Principal Painter in Ordinary, Allan Ramsay , in 1784 created a vacancy. The King was compelled to offer the position to Gainsborough’s primary rival and the President of the Academy, Joshua Reynolds . Nevertheless, Gainsborough retained his status as the favoured painter of the royal family.

In his later years, Gainsborough increasingly devoted his artistic energies to landscape painting. Alongside Richard Wilson , he is regarded as a foundational figure of the eighteenth-century British landscape school. Concurrently, and in conjunction with Reynolds, he dominated the British portraiture scene during the latter half of the 18th century.

William Jackson, in his contemporary writings, described Gainsborough as being “sincere and honest to his intimate friends and that his heart was always alive to every feeling of honour and generosity”. [23] Although Gainsborough was not an avid reader, his correspondence with friends was remarkably eloquent, characterized by an unparalleled conversational style. [24] Henry Bate-Dudley , reflecting on Gainsborough’s letters, remarked that “a selection of his letters would offer the world as much originality and beauty as is ever traced in his paintings”. [25]

During the 1780s, Gainsborough employed a device he termed a “Showbox” for composing and displaying his landscapes. This apparatus involved projecting backlit images onto glass. The original “Showbox” is preserved and exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum , alongside a reproduction transparency. [26]

Gainsborough passed away from cancer on August 2, 1788, at the age of 61. His daughter Peggy recounted that his final words were “van Dyck ”. [27] He was laid to rest in the churchyard of St Anne’s Church, Kew , Surrey, located on Kew Green. It was his explicit wish to be buried near his friend Joshua Kirby . Later, his wife and nephew, Gainsborough Dupont , were interred alongside him. Coincidentally, the graveyard also serves as the final resting place for artists Johan Zoffany and Franz_Bauer . In 2011, an appeal was launched to fund the restoration of his tomb, which was successfully completed in 2012. [28] [29] A street in Kew, Gainsborough Road, bears his name in his honour. [30]

Technique

Girl with Pigs, 1781–82, private collection, was described by Sir Joshua Reynolds as “the best picture he ever painted”. [31]

The art historian Michael Rosenthal characterized Gainsborough as “one of the most technically proficient and, at the same time, most experimental artists of his time”. [19] He was renowned for the speed with which he applied paint, drawing more from direct observation of nature (and of human nature) than from the rigid application of academic principles. [19] The profound poetic sensibility embedded in his paintings moved John Constable to remark, “On looking at them, we find tears in our eyes and know not what brings them.”

Gainsborough’s deep affection for landscapes is evident in his technique of merging portrait figures with the backgrounds of his scenes. His landscapes were often created at night, illuminated only by candlelight, and he utilized tabletop arrangements of stones, fragments of mirrors, broccoli, and similar objects as models. [19] His later works are distinguished by a light colour palette and characterized by spontaneous, economical brushstrokes. [32]

Gainsborough’s sole documented apprentice was his nephew, Gainsborough Dupont . [4]

Reputation

Portrait of Mrs Mary Graham (1777) Scottish National Gallery The Harvest Wagon (1767) Alice De Lancey Izard (between 1747 and 1788) Metropolitan Museum of Art

His most celebrated works, including The Blue Boy ; Mr and Mrs Andrews ; Portrait of Mrs Mary Graham ; Mary and Margaret: The Painter’s Daughters; William Hallett and His Wife Elizabeth, nee Stephen, commonly known as The Morning Walk ; and Cottage Girl with Dog and Pitcher, all exemplify the distinctive individuality he captured in his subjects.

His contemporary and rival, Joshua Reynolds , praised Girl with Pigs as “the best picture he (Gainsborough) ever painted or perhaps ever will”. [31]

Gainsborough’s paintings experienced a surge in popularity among collectors starting in the 1850s, notably after Lionel de Rothschild began acquiring his portraits. The significant appreciation in the value of works by Gainsborough and Reynolds during the mid-19th century was partly fueled by the collecting activities of the prominent Rothschild family, including Ferdinand de Rothschild . [33]

In 2011, Gainsborough’s portrait of Miss Read (Mrs Frances Villebois) achieved a record price of £6.54 million at Christie’s in London when sold by Michael Pearson, 4th Viscount Cowdray . [34] Miss Read was a matrilineal descendant of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York . [35] [36]

  • Gainsborough’s iconic portrait, The Blue Boy , features prominently in the 1988 comedy film The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! , appearing in the office of the antagonist, Vincent Ludwig.
  • The Blue Boy by Gainsborough is also referenced in a 1995 episode of the British sitcom Keeping Up Appearances . In the episode, Hyacinth Bucket declares her intention to find something “like Gainsborough’s Blue Boy…only cheaper…” at a country house estate sale.
  • Cecil Beaton ’s play Gainsborough’s Girls, set in London in 1774 during the painter’s relocation of his family to the capital, remained unpublished until 2019 when it premiered in Sudbury, Suffolk , followed by a limited run at the Tower Theatre in London. [37]
  • Simon Edge ’s humorous novel A Right Royal Face-Off delves into the complex relationship between Gainsborough, King George III, and his family, as well as his artistic rivalry with Joshua Reynolds . [38]
  • Stanley Kubrick , in crafting the visual style and character mannerisms for his 1975 film Barry Lyndon , drew inspiration from Gainsborough’s paintings, among other 18th-century artists. [39]
  • In the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall , Gainsborough’s portrait The Morning Walk (Portrait of Mr and Mrs William Hallett) is clearly visible over actor Daniel Craig ’s shoulder during a scene set within the National Gallery . [40]
  • In the 1945 film Kitty , Gainsborough, portrayed by Cecil Kellaway , plays a pivotal role. His intervention to save the titular heroine from prison sets in motion the plot, which is based on the classic play Pygmalion .
  • Gainsborough’s portrait The Gravenor Family was repurposed and featured on the sleeve of the 1983 album Secret Messages by the band Electric Light Orchestra .
  • In the first season of the 2024 Netflix series The Gentlemen , Gainsborough’s painting Cornard Wood, near Sudbury, Suffolk is referenced.
  • The CSS extended color named Gainsboro, with the hexadecimal value #DCDCDC, is attributed to Gainsborough’s characteristic use of similar light tones in his work.

Portraits

Landscapes

See also

Further reading

  • Thomas Gainsborough, William T. Whitley, (John Murray, 1915)
  • Gainsborough, Ellis Waterhouse , (Edward Hulton, 1958) – the standard catalogue of the portraits etc.
  • The Letters of Thomas Gainsborough, ed. Mary Woodall, (Cupid Press, 1963)
  • The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough, John Hayes , (Two volumes, Zwemmer, 1970) – the standard catalogue of the drawings
  • Gainsborough as Printmaker, John Hayes, (Zwemmer, 1971) – the standard catalogue of the prints
  • Gainsborough, John Hayes, (Phaidon, 1975)
  • Gainsborough & Reynolds in the British Museum, ed. Timothy Clifford, Antony Grffiths and Martin Royalton-Kisch, (BMP, 1978)
  • Thomas Gainsborough, John Hayes, (Tate Gallery, 1981)
  • The Landscape Paintings of Thomas Gainsborough, John Hayes (Two volumes, Sotheby’s, 1982) – the standard catalogue on the landscape paintings
  • Thomas Gainsborough: His Life and Art, Jack Lindsay, (HarperCollins, 1982)
  • A Nest of Nightingales: Thomas Gainsborough, The Linley Sisters. Paintings and their Context II, ed. Giles Waterfield, (Dulwich PIcture Gallery, 1988)
  • The Paintings of Thomas Gainsborough, Malcolm Cormack, (Cambridge University Press, 1991)
  • Gainsborough & Reynolds: Contrasts in Royal Patronage, exhibition catalogue, (Queen’s Gallery, 1994)
  • Gainsborough’s Vision, Amal Asfour and Paul Williamson (Liverpool University Press, 1999)
  • The Art of Thomas Gainsborough: A little business for the Eye, Michael Rosenthal, (Yale University Press, 1999)
  • The Letters of Thomas Gainsborough, ed. John Hayes (Yale University Press, 2001)
  • Gainsborough, eds. Michael Rosenthal and Martin Myrone, (Tate, 2002)
  • Gainsborough in Bath, Susan Sloman, (Yale University Press, 2002)
  • Gainsborough, William Vaughan, (World of Art, Thames & Hudson, 2002) – the most accessible introduction
  • Sensation & Sensibility: Viewing Gainsborough’s Cottage Door, ed. Ann Bermingham (Yale University Press, 2005)
  • Thomas Gainsborough’s First Self-portrait, Stephen Conrad, in The British Art Journal, Vol. XII, No. 1, Summer 2011, pp. 52–59
  • Thomas Gainsborough and the Modern Woman, ed. Benedict Leca, (Giles, 2011)
  • Gainsborough’s Landscapes: Themes and Variations, Susan Sloman, (Philip Wilson, 2012)
  • Gainsborough: A Portrait, James Hamilton, (W&N, 13 July 2017)
  • Belsey, Hugh. “Gainsborough, Thomas (1727–1788)”. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi :10.1093/ref:odnb/10282. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  • Monkhouse, William Cosmo (1889). “Gainsborough, Thomas”. In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 20. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  • Rossetti, William Michael (1911). “Gainsborough, Thomas”. Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 11 (11th ed.). pp. 388–389.