Thomas Gainsborough
(1727-1788), Portrait and landscape painterSitter in 8 portraits
Artist associated with 262 portraits
Landscape and portrait painter. Gainsborough worked in his native Sudbury and then Ipswich until 1759 when he moved to Bath and established a fashionable portrait practice. Settling in London in 1774, he was Joshua Reynolds's only real rival as a portrait painter. Gainsborough quarrelled with the Royal Academy over the exhibition of his pictures; he was highly-strung in personality, a lively letter writer and devoted to music. Garrick said 'his cranium is so crammed with genius of every kind that it is in danger of bursting on you like a steam engine overcharged'.
More on Gainsborough: Gainsborough's Family Album
Watch a film clip on the artist from the BBC Archive in the Media section below
Sarah Kirby (née Bull); (John) Joshua Kirby
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1751-1752
On display on the Second Floor at Beningbrough Hall
NPG 1421
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1753
On display in Lady Chesterfield's Dressing Room at Beningbrough Hall
NPG 881
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1755
On display in Lady Chesterfield's Dressing Room at Beningbrough Hall
NPG 2179
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1759
On display in Room 42 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 4446
by Thomas Gainsborough
black and white chalk with stump on blue paper, circa 1765
NPG 5081
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1765
On display in Room 12 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 5947
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1770
NPG 755
James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale
after Thomas Gainsborough
oil on panel, feigned oval, late 18th century
NPG 928
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, 1770
On display at Holburne Museum, Bath
NPG 5054
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1773-1775
On display at Holburne Museum, Bath
NPG 980
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1774-1775
NPG 777
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1776
On display at Holburne Museum, Bath
NPG 5557
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, circa 1778
On display at Holburne Museum, Bath
NPG 59
Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1780
On display in Room 14 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 150
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, feigned oval, 1783
On display in Room 14 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 281
Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk
by Thomas Gainsborough
oil on canvas, 1784-1786
On display at Arundel Castle, Arundel
NPG 5294
by Francesco Bartolozzi, after Thomas Gainsborough
black and red crayon with pencil and grey wash on paper, circa 1797, based on a work of 1787-1788
On display in Room 42 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 1107
by James Macardell, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, 1763 (1762)
NPG D39450
by James Macardell, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, 1763 (1762)
NPG D14729
by James Macardell, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, mid 18th century
NPG D558
Related People
- Gainsborough Dupont (nephew)
- Mary Fischer (née Gainsborough) (daughter)
- Margaret Gainsborough (née Burr) (wife)
- Margaret Gainsborough (daughter)
Links
- All paintings by this artist on the Art UK website
- Barber, Institute of Fine Arts, Edgbaston, Midlands
- Blue plaque, 82 Pall Mall, St James's, London SW1Y 5ES
- Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby, North Yorkshire
- Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich, Suffolk
- Gainsborough's House, Sudbury, Suffolk
- Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent
- Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester
- Sudley House, Liverpool, Merseyside
- Thomas Gainsborough in the Oxford Index
- Waddesdon Manor-the Rothschild Collection, Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire
Tell us more back to top
Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.
If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.
Please note that we cannot provide valuations.
We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Recommended Exhibitions & displays
- Gainsborough's Family Album
Until 3 February
Related pages
Recommended Events
- Gainsborough's Family Album
From 23 February