: Thomas Gainsborough, surely the most enduringly popular of
British painters, is widely admired for his graceful society
portraits and his lush pastoral landscapes. In his life and in
his art he sought to project an image of effortless
accomplishment, reflected in a virtuostic painting style and
enormous personal charm. Gainsborough was also highly
competitive, held strong opinions on a variety of subjects and
was an astute businessman.
These qualities are handsomely showcased in "Thomas Gainsborough,
1717-1788," an exhibition organized by Tate Britain in
association with the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston. It was on view at the Tate last fall and
winter, before traveling to the National Gallery this spring. The
exhibition is currently on view at The Museum of Fine Arts
through September 14.
With more than 60 paintings and 30 works on paper, this is the
first comprehensive show of the artist's work in more than 20
years and the first Gainsborough retrospective in this country.
In illustrating the full range of the artist's achievements, the
curators have made it hard for viewers to choose a preference
between noble, refined portraits and sumptuous rural landscapes.
The lead curator was Michael Rosenthal, who teaches at England's
University of Warwick and contributed to the first rate,
accompanying catalog.
Born in 1727 in Sudbury, East Anglia, Gainsborough was the last
of nine children of a woolen merchant. At age 13 he was sent to
London to study art and then apprenticed with several painters.
His training at St Martin's Lane Academy, an art school run by
the celebrated artist William Hogarth, influenced Gainsborough to
look to contemporary life and nature for subjects, rather than
conventional historic, literary and religious themes.
