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

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

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

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

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

Thomas Gainsborough Artworks

Thomas Gainsborough (997 results)

COWS IN A LANDSCAPE

Circle of Thomas Gainsborough

COWS IN A LANDSCAPE

Sale Date: April 7, 1988

Auction Closed

A herdsman and a cow on a path in a mountainous...

Thomas Gainsborough

A herdsman and a cow on a path in a mountainous...

Sale Date: January 25, 1988

Auction Closed

Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset

Thomas Gainsborough

Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset

Sale Date: February 19, 1987

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Wooded landscape with herdsman and cow, 1755–1759

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with herdsman and cow, 1755–1759

Sale Date: February 19, 1987

Auction Closed

A rustic family on a woodland path

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

A rustic family on a woodland path

Sale Date: July 16, 1986

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Wooded landscape with donkey and figures

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with donkey and figures

Sale Date: July 10, 1986

Auction Closed

A boy holding a ship

Thomas Gainsborough

A boy holding a ship

Sale Date: July 10, 1986

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A wooded landscape with packhorse, figures and a

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with packhorse, figures and a

Sale Date: July 10, 1986

Auction Closed

A path through a wood

Thomas Gainsborough

A path through a wood

Sale Date: July 10, 1986

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with cows at a pool and cottage

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with cows at a pool and cottage

Sale Date: July 10, 1986

Auction Closed

A Suffolk landscape with a drover and..., 1746–1747

Thomas Gainsborough

A Suffolk landscape with a drover and..., 1746–1747

Sale Date: July 9, 1986

Auction Closed

Portrait Sir Francis Skipwith of Newbod Hall,...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait Sir Francis Skipwith of Newbod Hall,...

Sale Date: July 9, 1986

Auction Closed

Portrait of John Henry Petty, Earl Wycombe later

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of John Henry Petty, Earl Wycombe later

Sale Date: July 9, 1986

Auction Closed

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