Thomas Gainsborough

English portrait and landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough was born #onthisday in 1727. ⁠⁠

Alongside his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, Gainsborough was a founding member of the Royal Academy and was considered one of the most important British artists of the 18th century. His portraits were characterised by light, feathery brush strokes and rich colour, and featured sitters in trendy, contemporary dress. He was the favourite painter of the reigning King George III and Queen Charlotte.

Despite his immense success as a portraitist, Gainsborough always maintained that he preferred to paint landscapes. His landscape works were hugely influential, and helped to establish the important of landscape as a category of British painting.⁠

Riverside Landscape with Cattle, chalk on buff paper, 1770–1775.⁠

Our old friend Polly (16) is staying with us this week. I loved how she looked sunbathing here, so I broke out the chalk pastels.

[ID ½] a low angled photo of Polly the old golden cocker spaniel sitting by an open balcony door on a blue towel which matches the hot blue sky glowing in. Behind her is a plant stand containing bright pink and purple trailing tradescantia and a spider plant, with some drooping monstera leaves framing her back in the foreground.

[ID 2/2] a chalk pastel drawing of the same scene, on a small grey sugar paper notepad. I’ve simplified the shapes and colours around her so that the focus and detail is on her sitting golden form, highlighted with pops of green, yellow, orange and blue. [End ID]