Thomas Gainsborough. Outstanding portrait and landscape painter

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Thomas Gainsborough - English artist of the 18th century. The fashionable artist, who painted portraits of the aristocracy, amazingly painted draperies, fabrics of dresses and camisoles, and lace, most of all loved the English landscape, which he studied all his life. His paintings are close to us, people of the 21st century, as they were close to people of the 18th century.

London and study time

Thomas Gainsborough was born in 1727, studied in London with a French engraver and painter, and gradually developed his own refined style of painting, which approaches the rococo. He preferred landscapes. But they sold poorly, and the artist turned to portraiture, combining portrait and landscape in the "Portrait of the Andrews", whose images are close to those of works of English sentimental literature.

He tries to blend the portrait with the environment. At the same time, he married and had two daughters.

Bath is a trendy resort

Becoming a fashion artist, Thomas Gainsborough moves to Bath with his sisters. He is best at portraits. This is what he starts doing. They, be they daughters, be theyduchess or courtesan, he succeeds superbly. He very well conveyed the portrait resemblance, as well as the brilliance of silk, the softness of velvet, the airiness of scarves and plumes. The artist received all his main earnings from painting portraits. By the age of 32, he had a “line” of people who wanted him to paint their portrait. In addition, Thomas Gainsborough managed to draw and landscapes.

Portrait painting

Technically, the painter has grown a lot, and his favorite landscapes work out with brilliance. His technique is light and virtuoso. One of the most famous works that Thomas Gainsborough wrote at that time is “Portrait of a Boy in Blue.”

This painting is symphonic in color. It harmoniously contains lilac, pearl gray and olive tones. The exquisite teenager in blue satin, which is played with highlights that emphasize the brilliance of the fabric, is depicted in full growth. He holds in his hand a large hat with a white plume. It stands against the backdrop of an evening landscape done in olive and brown tones.

In the capital

By the age of 47, Thomas was already a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London, but he performed his duties so poorly that he was expelled. But this did not overshadow the life of the artist. He exhibited his paintings in his own studio. Refinement and freedom of execution is one of the main features of the artist's work style.

Landscape painting

One of the best landscapes, "Return from the Harvest", was painted under the influence of Rubens, but it is more lyrical and romantic.

In that work, Gainsborough connected what seemed to be unconnectable. The realism of Rubens, before which he bowed, and the French pictorial lightness, the rococo style with its winding whimsical lines. His painting is not painted with a dense, but fluid layer of paint, so the manner of writing becomes easy. In the crowns of the trees, light plays, shimmers, then superimposing deep shadows, then sparkling in the sun. This is how Thomas Gainsborough painted his best landscape. The description of the picture leads to the idea that the artist became a landscape painter, as he wanted. But Thomas Gainsborough continues to paint portraits, especially of women.

The color of the painting "Lady in Blue" is built on bluish, pearl-gray noble tones. There is a slight blush on the face, brown eyes look serious. A high, powdered wig completes the look. The whole appearance of the lady is refined and noble. The light coloring of the appearance stands out against a dark background, playing with shadows. In some places they deepen or, conversely, become lighter. A lot of portraits passed through his hands, in which he tries to achieve maximum similarity, and not the transfer of the social status of a person. "Portrait of Sarah Siddons" emphasizes her charm and dreaminess. She sits against the backdrop of lush burgundy draperies in a blue dress, which is set off by them, and in a black hat with feathers. A yellow scarf is thrown over his shoulders, a fur muff is in his hands. Posture emphasizes the greatness of the actress.

Thomas Gainsborough died in London at the age of 61. He worked hard until his death. In his life there was nodramatic collisions. She was filled with her favorite work. The accuracy of the brushstroke is amazing, the rich saturated colors used by Thomas Gainsborough, whose biography is made up of his paintings that convey everything beautiful.