Landscape in Suffolk

Thomas Gainsborough prints bring the grace of Georgian England into your home: fashionable ladies in silk and feathers, children with dogs and cats, and soft, feathery landscapes of woods, cottages and country carts. Gainsborough was, with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of the two greatest British painters of the eighteenth century, and a founder of the British landscape school. Our collection of fine art prints includes his portraits, landscapes and drawings.

About Thomas Gainsborough

Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, and baptised on 14 May 1727, the youngest son of a weaver and wool merchant. At ten he was already painting heads and small landscapes. In 1740 he went to London to study with the engraver Hubert Gravelot, became associated with William Hogarth's circle, and helped Francis Hayman decorate the supper boxes at Vauxhall Gardens.

In 1746 he married Margaret Burr. His landscapes did not sell well, so he turned to portraits, working in Sudbury and then Ipswich, where he painted local merchants and squires. In 1759 the family moved to Bath, where fashionable visitors brought him wealthy sitters, and in 1769 he became a founding member of the Royal Academy.

In 1774 he moved to London, where he painted royalty and celebrities, including King George III and Queen Charlotte. Though he grew frustrated with portrait commissions, he was hugely successful. When the post of Principal Painter to the King fell vacant in 1784, it went to his rival Reynolds. He died of cancer in London on 2 August 1788.

Style and Subjects

Gainsborough painted quickly, with a light palette and easy, feathery brushstrokes that make silk shimmer and leaves flutter. His mature portraits are elegant and relaxed, his sitters often placed in landscape settings with soft, glowing light.

He preferred landscapes to portraits, and his views of English woods, cottages, ponds and country lanes, often with peasants, cattle or carts, helped found the British landscape tradition. His late "fancy pictures" of rustic children are tender and poetic.

Famous Works

• Mr and Mrs Andrews (about 1750), National Gallery, London. A young couple in their Suffolk fields, a landmark of English portrait and landscape.
• The Blue Boy (about 1770), Huntington Library, San Marino. A youth in a shimmering blue satin costume, his most famous portrait.
• The Honourable Mrs Graham (1775–1777), Scottish National Gallery, Edinburgh. A celebrated beauty in a full-length portrait.
• Queen Charlotte (1781), Royal Collection. The queen in a grand full-length state portrait.
• The Morning Walk (1785), National Gallery, London. A young married couple strolling through a wood.
• Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1785–1787), National Gallery of Art, Washington. The singer Elizabeth Linley seated in a breezy landscape.
• The Market Cart (1786), National Gallery, London. A cart of produce on a woodland track, one of his finest late landscapes.

Decorating with Gainsborough Prints

Gainsborough's portraits suit classic interiors: dining rooms, drawing rooms and entrance halls with panelling, soft colours and gilt frames. A portrait such as Mrs Richard Brinsley Sheridan or The Honourable Mrs Graham makes an elegant focal point.

His landscapes, such as The Cottage Door or The Market Cart, bring calm English countryside to a living room, bedroom or study, and suit cottage and country-house styles alike.

FAQ

What is Thomas Gainsborough's most famous painting?

The Blue Boy, in the Huntington Library in California, and Mr and Mrs Andrews, in the National Gallery in London, are his most famous works.

Who was Gainsborough's rival?

Sir Joshua Reynolds, President of the Royal Academy, was his great rival. In 1784 Reynolds was given the post of Principal Painter to the King.

Did Gainsborough prefer portraits or landscapes?

Although he was a prolific and successful portraitist, he gained more satisfaction from painting landscapes, and he is credited as a founder of the British landscape school.

Was Gainsborough a founder of the Royal Academy?

Yes. He was invited to become a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1769.

Where can I see Gainsborough's paintings?

Major works are in the National Gallery and Tate in London, the Huntington Library in California, the Scottish National Gallery, the Royal Collection and Gainsborough's House in Sudbury.

Related Artists

• Sir Joshua Reynolds: his great rival
• William Hogarth: the painter whose circle he joined in London
• Francis Hayman: painter he assisted at Vauxhall Gardens
• John Constable: Suffolk landscape painter who admired his work
• Sir Henry Raeburn: British portraitist of the next generation