Thomas Gainsborough

(British, 1727–1788)

Thomas Gainsborough was a leading British Romantic portraitist. His work is distinctive for his lively handling of paint, which allowed the artist to capture his sitters’ likenesses both quickly and accurately. Born on May 14, 1727 in Sudbury, United Kingdom, he developed his skill while working as an assistant to Hubert-François Gravelot, a French Rococo painter. Though his first love was landscape painting, Gainsborough quickly turned to portraits for their popularity and the financial stability they offered. His works, painted in dark colors with economical brush strokes, were of contemporary celebrities as well as local merchants and townspeople. He gained widespread acclaim and emerged as one of the leading portrait artists of the century alongside his longtime rival, Joshua Reynolds. Gainsborough was notably one of the original 36 artists invited to join the Royal Academy. He went on to paint portraits of King George III and his wife, and many royal commissions thereafter. The artist died on August 2, 1788, in London, United Kingdom. Today, his works can be found in the collections of the National Gallery in London, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, among others.

Thomas Gainsborough Artworks

Thomas Gainsborough (997 results)
Blick auf eine steinerne Brücke im..., 1783

Thomas Gainsborough

Blick auf eine steinerne Brücke im..., 1783

Sale Date: May 9, 2014

Auction Closed

Cattle grazing under a tree

Thomas Gainsborough

Cattle grazing under a tree

Sale Date: April 30, 2014

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sarah Langston, bust-length, in a...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Sarah Langston, bust-length, in a...

Sale Date: April 29, 2014

Auction Closed

Landscape with traveller passing a tree

Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape with traveller passing a tree

Sale Date: March 12, 2014

Auction Closed

A wooded landscape with a peasant and dog, a...

In the manner of Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with a peasant and dog, a...

Sale Date: March 4, 2014

Auction Closed

Portrait of lady Greville

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of lady Greville

Sale Date: January 31, 2014

Auction Closed

Portrait of a lady, three-quarter length,...

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of a lady, three-quarter length,...

Sale Date: January 30, 2014

Auction Closed

Portrait of lady Frederick Campbell (Countess...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of lady Frederick Campbell (Countess...

Sale Date: January 29, 2014

Auction Closed

A rustic scene with a shepherdess and her admirer

Thomas Gainsborough

A rustic scene with a shepherdess and her admirer

Sale Date: January 29, 2014

Auction Closed

Road through a wood with farm waggon approaching

Thomas Gainsborough

Road through a wood with farm waggon approaching

Sale Date: December 5, 2013

Auction Closed

Ritratto di giovane donna

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Ritratto di giovane donna

Sale Date: November 30, 2013

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with cattle

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with cattle

Sale Date: December 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Coastal scene with figures, shipping and ruined...

Thomas Gainsborough

Coastal scene with figures, shipping and ruined...

Sale Date: December 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with shepherd, sheep and cottage

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with shepherd, sheep and cottage

Sale Date: December 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with herdsmen and cattle

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with herdsmen and cattle

Sale Date: December 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Study of a lady, possibly for the Richmond...

Thomas Gainsborough

Study of a lady, possibly for the Richmond...

Sale Date: December 4, 2013

Auction Closed

Portrait of Elizabeth, Duchess of Buccleuch, , 1767

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Elizabeth, Duchess of Buccleuch, , 1767

Sale Date: November 20, 2013

Auction Closed

Portrait of a gentleman, thought to be James...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of a gentleman, thought to be James...

Sale Date: October 31, 2013

Auction Closed

Portrait of Lord Athburton

School of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Lord Athburton

Sale Date: September 24, 2013

Auction Closed

A girl feeding pigs in a wooded landscape

After Thomas Gainsborough

A girl feeding pigs in a wooded landscape

Sale Date: September 18, 2013

Auction Closed

A gypsy encampment

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

A gypsy encampment

Sale Date: August 25, 2013

Auction Closed

Untitled

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Untitled

Sale Date: July 9, 2013

Auction Closed

Figures resting in a woodland landscape, 1784

Thomas Gainsborough

Figures resting in a woodland landscape, 1784

Sale Date: July 3, 2013

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a building and stream

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a building and stream

Sale Date: July 3, 2013

Auction Closed