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 News

Museums & Institutions

Leaky Roof Causes Serious Concern for Welsh National Museum Amid Pleas for Urgent Repairs

by Verity Babbs
Leaky Roof Causes Serious Concern for Welsh National Museum Amid Pleas for Urgent Repairs
Art World

Need an Absorbing Read for the Holidays? Check Out These 13 Books Recommended by the Artnet News Staff

by Artnet News
Need an Absorbing Read for the Holidays? Check Out These 13 Books Recommended by the Artnet News Staff
Art World

Dozens of Previously Unknown Thomas Gainsborough Drawings Are Discovered in a Library Book

by Naomi Rea
Dozens of Previously Unknown Thomas Gainsborough Drawings Are Discovered in a Library Book

Thomas Gainsborough Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Thomas Gainsborough (997 results)
A wooded landscape with a herdsman, cows and...

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with a herdsman, cows and...

Sale Date: April 15, 2008

Auction Closed

Portrait d'un femme (Miss Baker?)

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait d'un femme (Miss Baker?)

Sale Date: February 11, 2008

Auction Closed

Landscape

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape

Sale Date: March 1, 2008

Auction Closed

Portrait of Thomas Hanmer

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Thomas Hanmer

Sale Date: January 24, 2008

Auction Closed

Portrait of Miss Low

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Miss Low

Sale Date: January 25, 2008

Auction Closed

Portrait of Mary, Countess Howe, 1870

After Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Mary, Countess Howe, 1870

Sale Date: December 6, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of lady with her children

After Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of lady with her children

Sale Date: December 6, 2007

Auction Closed

An old peasant with a donkey in a wooded landscape

Thomas Gainsborough

An old peasant with a donkey in a wooded landscape

Sale Date: December 7, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with cows beside a pool,...

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with cows beside a pool,...

Sale Date: November 12, 2007

Auction Closed

Open landscape with travellers on a road

Thomas Gainsborough

Open landscape with travellers on a road

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with rocks and Tree Stump

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with rocks and Tree Stump

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Landscape with figures on a path

Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape with figures on a path

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Landscape with cattle, a young man courting a...

Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape with cattle, a young man courting a...

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of a nobleman

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of a nobleman

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of Mr G Hammond

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Mr G Hammond

Sale Date: November 22, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of Margaret Georgiana, first Countess...

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Margaret Georgiana, first Countess...

Sale Date: October 24, 2007

Auction Closed

Cows in a landscape

After Thomas Gainsborough

Cows in a landscape

Sale Date: October 3, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

After Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

Sale Date: October 3, 2007

Auction Closed

Girl with pigs

After Thomas Gainsborough

Girl with pigs

Sale Date: August 3, 2007

Auction Closed

Landscape and figures

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape and figures

Sale Date: June 7, 2007

Auction Closed

The market cart

After Thomas Gainsborough

The market cart

Sale Date: June 13, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of a lady

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of a lady

Sale Date: June 13, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of dr. William Walcot

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of dr. William Walcot

Sale Date: June 9, 2007

Auction Closed

A drover with his cattle in a landscape, an...

Thomas Gainsborough

A drover with his cattle in a landscape, an...

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

English (US)

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