"The book begins by charting the geography and professional tactics of a career that took Gainsbourgh from London to Suffolk, Bath and eventually back to London. Rosenthal looks at such wide-ranging topics as how artists manipulated the press, the issue of likeness in portraiture, how rivalries between painters were handled in public and private, and the pressures of the public exhibition. The second part of the book explores the manifestations of Gainsborugh's aesthetic in portraiture, landscape painting and paintings of sensibility. Rosenthal concludes with a discussion of the problem of defining a role and proper form for the fine arts at a time of rapid social change and innovation."--BOOK JACKET.

Examines the works of the English painter, and discusses his contributions to the art world by analyzing his personal style

Thomas Gainsborough is the most perennially popular of British artists, admired for the grandeur of his society portraits and his sumptuous pastoral landscapes. In his life and art he wished to project an image of effortless accomplishment, demonstrated by a dazzling painting techniques and immense personal charm. He was also competitive, opinionated and possessed of a finely tuned business brain.

The "grand" portrait has long been understood to have played a pivotal part in the self-definition of Georgian society: not only was a likeness presented to a curious public, but social station and financial rank were also advertised, if not flaunted. Leca, curator at the Cincinnati Art Museum, claims that in addition portraiture was the vehicle for "modernist" ideas. He uses as an example the museum's portrait by Thomas Gainsborough titled Ann Ford, the subject of this exhibition catalogue. In a wide-ranging essay, Leca shows how Gainsborough, the most maverick of the period's portraitists, deliberately piqued establishment taste by seeking out and painting "modern women"--courtesans, dancers, and musicians--who mirrored his own edgy persona, and by rendering them in a provocative and "unfinished" style, thus challenging viewers both morally and visually. In a second essay, Ribeiro (emer., Courtauld Institute, London) discusses the decorum surrounding female portraiture and how Gainsborough's picture deviated or violated accepted notions through pose, dress, and countenance. As an authority on period costume, Ribeiro offers an essay that is rich in observations regarding the social nuances of female attire. Ludwig (doctoral candidate, Boston Univ.) offers a survey of the portraiture of British "progressive" women. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty. Reviewed by L. R. Matteson.

The portrait and landscape painter Thomas Gainsborough was the dominant British portraitist of the second half of the eighteenth century. Credited as a founder of the British landscape school, Gainsborough sought to change the artistic tastes of his day, establishing an original and innovative approach to high art. Delphi’s Masters of Art Series presents the world’s first digital e-Art books, allowing readers to explore the works of great artists in comprehensive detail. This volume presents Gainsborough’s complete paintings in beautiful detail, with concise introductions, hundreds of high quality images and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * The complete paintings of Thomas Gainsborough — over 550 paintings, fully indexed and arranged in chronological and alphabetical order * Includes reproductions of rare works * Features a special ‘Highlights’ section, with concise introductions to the masterpieces, giving valuable contextual information * Enlarged ‘Detail’ images, allowing you to explore Gainsborough’s celebrated works in detail, as featured in traditional art books * Hundreds of images in colour – highly recommended for viewing on tablets and smart phones or as a valuable reference tool on more conventional eReaders * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the paintings * Easily locate the paintings you wish to view * Includes a selection of Gainsborough's drawings - explore the artist’s varied works * Features two bonus biographies - discover Gainsborough's artistic and personal life * Scholarly ordering of plates into chronological order Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting e-Art books CONTENTS: The Highlights GAINSBOROUGH’S FOREST MR. AND MRS. ANDREWS JOHN PLAMPIN THE PAINTER’S DAUGHTERS CHASING A BUTTERFLY SELF PORTRAIT MARY, COUNTESS HOWE THE HARVEST WAGGON THE BLUE BOY THE LINLEY SISTERS THE WATERING PLACE JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH MRS. GAINSBOROUGH GIRL WITH PIGS GIOVANNI BACCELLI SHEPHERD BOYS WITH DOGS FIGHTING PORTRAIT OF THE THREE ELDEST PRINCESSES: CHARLOTTE, PRINCESS ROYAL, AUGUSTA AND ELIZABETH MRS. SIDDONS MRS. RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN THE MORNING WALK GIRL WITH DOG AND PITCHER The Paintings THE COMPLETE PAINTINGS ALPHABETICAL LIST OF PAINTINGS Selected Drawings LIST OF DRAWINGS The Biographies GAINSBOROUGH by Max Rothschild BRIEF BIOGRAPHY: THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH by William Cosmo Monkhouse Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles or to buy the whole Art series as a Super Set

This new study on Thomas Gainsborough concentrates on the early life and works of the great eighteenth-century artist. Gainsborough's talent was evident at a young age, and before he established himself as one of London's leading portrait artists he was able to indulge himself in his true passion, landscapes, as well as providing portraits for a provincial clientele. Graced with the light and gentle shadows of the English countryside, these early works provided the foundation for much of Gainsborough's later work. But many of them, including the renowned Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, and His Daughters Chasing a Butterfly, can be called masterpieces in their own right. It was in Suffolk that the artist developed a naturalistic approach to portraiture by abandoning "conversation pieces" and painting instead a number of straightforward head-and-shoulder portraits. This lively and accessible volume features eighty color and black-and-white reproductions of Gainsborough's paintings, etchings, and drawings. They not only shed light on the development of one of England's most revered painters, but also offer an intimate look at the work of a young painter in the thrall of his subjects, and just beginning to realize his full talents.