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)
Portrait of Captain Sharpe

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Captain Sharpe

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded mountain landscape with river and buildings

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded mountain landscape with river and buildings

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with mansion, figure and...

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with mansion, figure and...

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a traveller on a country...

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a traveller on a country...

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

A woodland path

Thomas Gainsborough

A woodland path

Sale Date: June 6, 2007

Auction Closed

The waggoner - Landscape near Bath

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

The waggoner - Landscape near Bath

Sale Date: May 25, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of Elizabeth Honywood and her son..., 1767

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Elizabeth Honywood and her son..., 1767

Sale Date: May 25, 2007

Auction Closed

A landscape with trees by a pool

Thomas Gainsborough

A landscape with trees by a pool

Sale Date: June 5, 2007

Auction Closed

Cottage children (+ Boys and dogs; 2 works), 1791

Thomas Gainsborough

Cottage children (+ Boys and dogs; 2 works), 1791

Sale Date: May 9, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of Mrs Thomas Prowse in a blue and gold

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Mrs Thomas Prowse in a blue and gold

Sale Date: April 27, 2007

Auction Closed

A wooded landscape with a pond and a figure on a

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with a pond and a figure on a

Sale Date: April 19, 2007

Auction Closed

Landscape with figures and cows

After Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape with figures and cows

Sale Date: March 23, 2007

Auction Closed

Portrait of the Hon. Mrs. Thomas Graham

After Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of the Hon. Mrs. Thomas Graham

Sale Date: January 27, 2007

Auction Closed

Landscape

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Landscape

Sale Date: January 27, 2007

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a herdsman driving cattle...

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a herdsman driving cattle...

Sale Date: November 22, 2006

Auction Closed

Portrait of Mr Coke, of Brookhill Hall in a red...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Mr Coke, of Brookhill Hall in a red...

Sale Date: November 22, 2006

Auction Closed

A road through a wood with hilly ground to the...

Thomas Gainsborough

A road through a wood with hilly ground to the...

Sale Date: November 16, 2006

Auction Closed

A wooded landscape with church and houses

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with church and houses

Sale Date: November 16, 2006

Auction Closed

A horseman on a track in a wooded landscape

Thomas Gainsborough

A horseman on a track in a wooded landscape

Sale Date: November 16, 2006

Auction Closed

Travellers on a track in a landscape

Thomas Gainsborough

Travellers on a track in a landscape

Sale Date: November 16, 2006

Auction Closed

Portrait of Nicholas Pearse (1720-1793)

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Nicholas Pearse (1720-1793)

Sale Date: November 23, 2006

Auction Closed

Milkmaids with cattle on a country track

Thomas Gainsborough

Milkmaids with cattle on a country track

Sale Date: November 23, 2006

Auction Closed

Old castle

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Old castle

Sale Date: November 10, 2006

Auction Closed

The waggoner: Landscape near bath

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

The waggoner: Landscape near bath

Sale Date: November 10, 2006

Auction Closed

English (US)

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