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)

A wooded landscape with cows beside a..., 1775–1778

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with cows beside a..., 1775–1778

Sale Date: December 9, 2015

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with a country cart and..., 1785

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with a country cart and..., 1785

Sale Date: December 9, 2015

Auction Closed

Cattle and drover on a woodland track

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

Cattle and drover on a woodland track

Sale Date: December 1, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in...

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of a gentleman, bust-length, in...

Sale Date: December 9, 2015

Auction Closed

WOODED LANDSCAPE WITH CHILDREN DESCENDING THE...

Thomas Gainsborough

WOODED LANDSCAPE WITH CHILDREN DESCENDING THE...

Sale Date: December 10, 2015

Auction Closed

Figures and pack horses on a wooded track

Thomas Gainsborough

Figures and pack horses on a wooded track

Sale Date: December 9, 2015

Auction Closed

Jeune fille aux cerises

Circle of Thomas Gainsborough

Jeune fille aux cerises

Sale Date: November 17, 2015

Auction Closed

Figures around a campfire

Circle of Thomas Gainsborough

Figures around a campfire

Sale Date: October 28, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of Lucy James, Mrs Thomas Audley..., 1769

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Lucy James, Mrs Thomas Audley..., 1769

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sir Richard Brooke, 5th Bt....

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Sir Richard Brooke, 5th Bt....

Sale Date: July 9, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of Thomas Panton (1700–82), 1772

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Thomas Panton (1700–82), 1772

Sale Date: July 9, 2015

Auction Closed

River Orwell at Harwich, with a cottage and...

Follower of Thomas Gainsborough

River Orwell at Harwich, with a cottage and...

Sale Date: July 7, 2015

Auction Closed

A wooded landscape with a bridge

Thomas Gainsborough

A wooded landscape with a bridge

Sale Date: July 7, 2015

Auction Closed

Recto: Wooded landscape with herdsman and...

Thomas Gainsborough

Recto: Wooded landscape with herdsman and...

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

A country road with houses, circa 1763

Thomas Gainsborough

A country road with houses, circa 1763

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with pool and figure, circa 1782

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with pool and figure, circa 1782

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Figures and cattle beside a pool in a wooded...

Thomas Gainsborough

Figures and cattle beside a pool in a wooded...

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Wooded rocky landscape with mounted peasant,...

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded rocky landscape with mounted peasant,...

Sale Date: July 8, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of Lady Anne Furye, née Greenly (b....

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Lady Anne Furye, née Greenly (b....

Sale Date: June 17, 2015

Auction Closed

Wooded landscape with peasants in a wagon

Thomas Gainsborough

Wooded landscape with peasants in a wagon

Sale Date: June 4, 2015

Auction Closed

Portrait of Lady Fludyer, half-length

Thomas Gainsborough

Portrait of Lady Fludyer, half-length

Sale Date: June 4, 2015

Auction Closed

Paysage: voyageur a cheval

Thomas Gainsborough

Paysage: voyageur a cheval

Sale Date: May 13, 2015

Auction Closed

A portrait of John Parke

Circle of Thomas Gainsborough

A portrait of John Parke

Sale Date: April 12, 2015

Auction Closed

The Cottage Girl, 1700–1799

After Thomas Gainsborough

The Cottage Girl, 1700–1799

Sale Date: April 30, 2015

Auction Closed

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