Painters and Their Craft.
1. Painters and their craft: Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds–their place in the history of English art (genre peculiarities, style, pictures)
Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, in 1727. His father was a cloth merchant. Thomas soon evinced a marked inclination for drawing and in 1740 his father John Gainsborough sent him to London to study art. He stayed in London for eight years, working under the rococo portrait-engraver Gravelot. He also became familiar with the Flamish tradition of painting which was highly prized by London art dealers at that time. “Road through Wood, with Boy Resting and Dog”, 1747 was a typical “genre painting”, obviously influenced by Ruisdael.
In 1750 he moved to Ipswich where his professional career began in earnest. He executed a great many small-sized portraits as well as landscapes of a decorative nature. In 1759 he moved to Bath. There he became a much sought-after and fashionable artist, portraying the aristocracy. In the manner of Van Duck, he turned to full-length, life-size portraits.
Gainsborough is famous for the elegance of his portraits and his pictures of women in particular have an extreme delicacy and refinement. His best works are painted in clear and transparent tone, in a colour scheme where blue and green predominate.
Sir Joshua Reynolds was an influential 18th century English painter, specializing the “frand style” in painting which depend on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first president of fine Royal Academy. King George 3 appreciate his merits and knighted him in 1769. Reynolds worked for some time as a portrait-painter in Plymonth Dock.
He said that a relish of a higher excellencies of art is an acquired taste, which no man ever possessed without long cultivation, and great labour and attention. Nor does the painting in this respect differ from other arts. A just poetical taste, and the acquisition of a nice discriminative musical ear, are equally the
Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, in 1727. His father was a cloth merchant. Thomas soon evinced a marked inclination for drawing and in 1740 his father John Gainsborough sent him to London to study art. He stayed in London for eight years, working under the rococo portrait-engraver Gravelot. He also became familiar with the Flamish tradition of painting which was highly prized by London art dealers at that time. “Road through Wood, with Boy Resting and Dog”, 1747 was a typical “genre painting”, obviously influenced by Ruisdael.
In 1750 he moved to Ipswich where his professional career began in earnest. He executed a great many small-sized portraits as well as landscapes of a decorative nature. In 1759 he moved to Bath. There he became a much sought-after and fashionable artist, portraying the aristocracy. In the manner of Van Duck, he turned to full-length, life-size portraits.
Gainsborough is famous for the elegance of his portraits and his pictures of women in particular have an extreme delicacy and refinement. His best works are painted in clear and transparent tone, in a colour scheme where blue and green predominate.
Sir Joshua Reynolds was an influential 18th century English painter, specializing the “frand style” in painting which depend on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first president of fine Royal Academy. King George 3 appreciate his merits and knighted him in 1769. Reynolds worked for some time as a portrait-painter in Plymonth Dock.
He said that a relish of a higher excellencies of art is an acquired taste, which no man ever possessed without long cultivation, and great labour and attention. Nor does the painting in this respect differ from other arts. A just poetical taste, and the acquisition of a nice discriminative musical ear, are equally the