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)
Wooded mountain landscape with herdsman , 1780–1789

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded mountain landscape with herdsman , 1780–1789

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with figures, horse..., 1775–1779

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with figures, horse..., 1775–1779

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Elizabeth Bowes, Mrs. Croft, 1783–1783

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Elizabeth Bowes, Mrs. Croft, 1783–1783

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Open landscape with riders and packhorses...

Thomas Gainsborough

Open landscape with riders and packhorses...

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Charity Relieving Distress

Thomas Gainsborough

Charity Relieving Distress

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Richard Tickell, 1780–1780

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Richard Tickell, 1780–1780

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with figures outside a , 1775–1779

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with figures outside a , 1775–1779

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Anne Lynch as a child, 1744–1744

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Anne Lynch as a child, 1744–1744

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

A river scene with a couple in a boat by a tree

Thomas Gainsborough

A river scene with a couple in a boat by a tree

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Mrs. Unwin in a dark dress with...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Mrs. Unwin in a dark dress with...

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Figures and cattle in a wooded landscape, 1775–1779

Thomas Gainsborough

Figures and cattle in a wooded landscape, 1775–1779

Sale Date: November 20, 2003

Auction Closed

The faggot gatherer, 1745–1745

Thomas Gainsborough

The faggot gatherer, 1745–1745

Sale Date: November 20, 2003

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a peasant reading , 1779–1780

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a peasant reading , 1779–1780

Sale Date: November 6, 2003

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with two country carts , 1779–1780

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with two country carts , 1779–1780

Sale Date: November 6, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait einer Dame

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait einer Dame

Sale Date: September 24, 2003

Auction Closed

Figures outside a cottage

Attributed to Thomas Gainsborough

Figures outside a cottage

Sale Date: August 8, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of George Charles Garnier of Rookesbury

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of George Charles Garnier of Rookesbury

Sale Date: June 12, 2003

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a figure and a dog

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a figure and a dog

Sale Date: June 12, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of...

Circle of Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of...

Sale Date: June 4, 2003

Auction Closed

A stag watering in a forest glade

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

A stag watering in a forest glade

Sale Date: June 4, 2003

Auction Closed

A lodge in a park, with children descending steps

Thomas Gainsborough

A lodge in a park, with children descending steps

Sale Date: May 30, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Lady Alston, 1760–1765

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Lady Alston, 1760–1765

Sale Date: March 19, 2003

Auction Closed

Sheep and lambs by a fence in a landscape

Thomas Gainsborough

Sheep and lambs by a fence in a landscape

Sale Date: January 24, 2003

Auction Closed

A wooded landscape with a flock of sheep and a...

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with a flock of sheep and a...

Sale Date: January 22, 2003

Auction Closed

English (US)

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