Thomas Gainsborough

The Blue Boy, Mr and Mrs Andrews — English portraiture

Reynolds' great rival and the more naturally gifted painter. His portraits fuse sitter and landscape into shimmering, feathery harmonies; The Blue Boy is the most famous English painting. He preferred painting landscapes but the money was in portraits — a tension that gives his best work its restless energy.

Key works

• The Blue Boy~1770— The most famous English portrait
  Huntington Library, San Marino, California
• Mr and Mrs Andrews~1750— A couple and their land — property as portrait
  National Gallery, London

Connections

External