Thomas Gainsborough, RA

Born in Sudbury, Suffolk, Thomas Gainsboroug trained in London before establishing a portrait practise in East Anglia. Throughout his career he claimed to prefer painting and drawing landscapes, allegedly saying ‘I wish very much to take my Viol da Gamba and walk off to some sweet Village where I can paint Landskips and enjoy the very End of Life in quietness and ease’.

He moved to Bath in 1759 and enjoyed commercial success producing full length portraits in the tradition of Rubens and van Dyck. He was a founder member of the Royal Academy and settled in London in 1774, when his rivalry with Sir Joshua Reynolds became clear. He had one studio assistant, his nephew Gainsborough Dupont.

Gainsborough drew prolifically in various media including pencil, charcoal, chalk, watercolour and bodycolour and his drawings were often preparatory sketches for oils or imaginary landscapes which could be very experimental in technique. He also made presentation watercolours with gilt tooled borders which he varnished.

His work is found in major collections all over the world, including The Huntington, San Marino, the Getty, National Gallery of Art, Washington, the Metropolitan Museum, New York, The Frick Collection, New York, Tate, the National Gallery, London, Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury and many others.

Additional Information
Tate
National Gallery of Art
Gainsborough's House
The Huntington
Getty