Thomas Gainsborough was one of the leading portrait and landscape painters of 18th-century England and a founding member of the Royal Academy.

He was known for his quick painting style and light palette. He became famous as a society portrait painter but he considered himself primarily a landscape painter. He spent much of his career outside London, the centre of the English art world, painting the rural English countryside that he loved. The talk covers his portraits, particularly those of his family and his landscapes.

1727: Thomas Gainsborough is born in Sudbury, Suffolk, England, as the youngest son of a weaver. His early interest in art is evident.
1730s: As a teenager, Gainsborough begins artistic training in London, likely as an apprentice to a painter or engraver.
1740s: Gainsborough establishes himself as a portrait painter in Bath, a fashionable spa town. He marries Margaret Burr in 1746 and starts a family. During this decade, he also paints some of his early landscapes.
1750s: Gainsborough's reputation grows, and he secures commissions from wealthy patrons. He paints his iconic works "Mr. and Mrs. Andrews" (c. 1750) and "The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly" (c. 1756) during this time.
1760s: Gainsborough moves to London in 1760, further solidifying his position as a leading portraitist. He becomes a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768.
1770s: This period sees Gainsborough create some of his most famous portraits, including "The Blue Boy" (1770) and "Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire" (c. 1785). He continues to paint landscapes and explores a more narrative style in works like "A Distressed Musician" (c. 1770).
1780s: Gainsborough remains a highly sought-after artist throughout the decade. He creates masterpieces like "The Market Cart" (1786) and "Cottage Girl with Dog and Pitcher" (1785). Thomas Gainsborough dies in London at the age of 61. His legacy as a major figure in British art is firmly established.

My free PDF notes on the talk are here [ Ссылка ]

свернуть