The Artworks of Thomas Gainsborough - Report Example

The Artworks of Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough was considered to be a prominent figure in the dimension of art in general and English fine arts in particular. This man was regarded as “the most versatile English painter of the 18th century”, and rather successful portrait and landscape painter in England (Woodall, n.p.). We might count a great number of his works that were painted in a wide variety of techniques and represented in different countries around the world today. He achieved success being alive and attained recognition posthumously. Thomas Gainsborough was a universal painter and prosperous person. His merits in the field of English fine art were innumerable and stunning. Thomas Gainsborough lived in eighteen century in England (Riggs, n.p.). His father was “a maker of woolen goods” and his income remained to be stable and bounteous for the proper maintaining of Gainsborough’s family (Riggs, n.p.). Thomas was considered to be the youngest son in the family, and, as a rule, he was surrounded by great care and big love of his parents. At the age of thirteen he asked father to sent him to London for the sake of studying “on the strength of his promise at landscape” (Woodall, n.p.). Thomas desired to deal with painting and therefore he had got such an excellent opportunity. Early ages in London regarded as an important period for Thomas Gainsborough as in those times he made his starts in painting and acquired skills in the process of studying. He attended the art school and started to work as an assistant to Hubert Gravelot who remained to be French painter and rather important figure in London art circles of that period (Riggs, n.p.). This man provided a great influence on Thomas Gainsborough, and laid the basis of his style. The French Rococo idiom was learned from Gravelot, and it was worse to mention that first serious paintings of Thomas Gainsborough were belonged to the traditions of Rococo (Woodall, n.p.). Gainsborough claimed that his first works were made with the influence of art from the Dutch 17th-century landscapists that were completely popular in the circles of English collectors in 1740 (Woodall, n.p.). Jan Wynants was considered to be one of the painters who provided a big impact on Gainsborough’s views. The earliest picture that was dated 1745, and was called Bumper — A Bull Terrier and took for the background Wynants paintings and a huge number of details were possible to consider as similar with Wynants works (Woodall, n.p.). Concerning the works of next years it was easy to see the influence of other honored painters of that period, such as Jacob van Ruisdael, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and others (Woodall, n.p.). Still, together with the impact of different styles Gainsborough represented his own manner in his works “the small heads painted in Suffolk, although sometimes rather stiff, are penetrating character studies delicately and freely pencilled, particularly the jaunty self-portrait in a cocked hat at Houghton” (Woodall, n.p.). Thomas was free to create his own particular vision of the landscapes and portraits. The matter is that after the marriage Thomas had a need to leave London and started to live in Suffolk with his wife. Later on, there were born two daughters Mary and Margaret in 1748 and 1752 years accordingly (Woodall, n.p.). Thomas together with his family used to live calm and stable life in Suffolk and later in Ipswich. Their main income was considered to be portraits and landscapes that were ordered to Thomas. It was really fashionable in that period to paint portraits of a person or members of the family and aristocratic layer of population paid for that a big amount of money. Gainsborough’s paintings in these places showed a magnificent and delightful beauty of those lands, and critical real identity of people who were inhabitants of Suffolk. These lands referred to his native place, and he was grown up in this territory that was why every picture represented original character, and highlighted some special details within paintings. For example picture Mr. and Mrs. Andrews correspond to rather typical Suffolk landscape. Moreover, this painting was considered to be “the most English of English pictures” and introduce the peculiar beauty of England (Woodall, n.p.). At the same time Lady and Gentleman “in Landscape is more Frenchified, with its vivacious Rococo rhythms” (Woodall, n.p.). However, Heneage Lloyd and His Sister was regarded as stylized painting that represents charming figures on the contrary of “a conventional background of steps and decorative urns” (Woodall, n.p.). The second essential period in art life of Thomas Gainsborough was connected with him moving to Bath there he created a special studio and achieved fame in aristocratic circles (Woodall, n.p.). It should be admitted that Thomas became popular and fashionable painter in those period. He started to feel a great passion to music and was adored with a theatre. Gainsborough got acquainted with some actors and musicians and visited a huge number of new-fashioned measures. He had got a huge number of orders in that period that demands to depict portraits; still his great love to landscapes did not turn off. In Bath, he had to satisfy more “sophisticated clientele and adopted a more formal and elegant portrait style” that was based largely on a study of Van Dyck at Wilton (Woodall, n.p.). What was more, Gainsborough created a free copy of Van Dyck’s painting of the Pembroke family (Woodall, n.p.). The impact of the Dutch painters was still visible in his artworks and Peasants Returning from Market description clearly introduced this connection. It was mentioned that “rich colour and beautiful creamy pastel shades” were observed while enjoying this picture (Woodall, n.p.). In year 1774 Gainsborough moved to London and attained here a serious position in the dimension of art life. He gained success in the royal family and with the time became an official court painter; moreover, in 1781 he had an opportunity to paint King and Queen (Riggs, n.p.). His style started to reflect more classical trends in the field of portrait and landscape paintings. His great love to landscape pictures became bigger and stronger. “The Watering Place was described by Horace Walpole, the English man of letters, as in the style of Rubens, but it also has much of the classic calm of Claude Lorrain, whose etchings Gainsborough owned” (Woodall, n.p.). In addition, Gainsborough made different trips along the different places and painted a huge number of landscapes with mountain scenes, seascapes and country houses. His later woks were mostly done for pleasure of our talented painter. The Mall in St. James’ Park, was the painting that represent a park scene described by Horace Walpole as “all a flutter like a lady’s fan” (Woodall, n.p.). The same spirit was included to the romanticized picture The Morning Walk with “figures strolling in a landscape” (Woodall, n.p.). It should be added that so called fancy pictures brought Gainsborough a special pleasure. They were “full-sized, idealized portraits of country children and peasants painted from models” (Woodall, n.p.). The Cottage Girl with a Bowl of Milk could be an appropriate example of the artwork. Taking all fact into account, it should be concluded that Thomas Gainsborough remained to be a prominent and essential individuality in the area of English art in eighteenth century. He had a brilliant career and great talent that was why he pretended to achieve such success. It was possible to distinguish three main periods in his life as a painter. All of them were connected with his location and with people who were around him. Thomas Gainsborough also regarded as rather universal painter as he used to deal with different trends and stiles. Still, he worked in the dimension of Rococo, Baroque and Classical stiles. Also, it was relevant to admit that Thomas Gainsborough was in big love with music and landscapes. That were his two passions for all his life and he did not abandon from them. Reference List: Riggs, Terry. “Thomas Gainsborough. Artist biography.” London: Tate Gallery, Feb, 1998. Web. Woodall, Mary. “Thomas Gainsborough.” London: Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Web. Read More