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The Blue Boy is a famous portrait by Thomas Gainsborough, depicting a young man in 17th-century costume. Learn about its history, ownership, artistic style, and cultural impact.
Learn about The Blue Boy, a famous painting by Thomas Gainsborough from 1770, depicting a young man in fancy clothing. Find out the possible identity of the sitter, the influence of van Dyck, and the technique and style of the artist.
- Iain Zaczek
- Artist Abstract: Who Was Thomas Gainsborough?
- The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough in Context
- Formal Analysis: A Brief Compositional Overview
- A Blue Tale
- Frequently Asked Questions
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Thomas Gainsborough was born In Suffolk, England in a town called Sudbury. He was born on 14 May 1727 and his parents were John Gainsborough, who was a wool handler and weaver; his mother was Mary Gainsborough and Thomas had 10 siblings. He was interested in painting from an early age and during 1740 he studied in London with Hubert Gravelot, who w...
We will start by first looking at a brief socio-historical overview, discussing who the boy in blue has been thought to be as well as some of the factors surrounding why Thomas Gainsborough painted him. We will then discuss The Blue Boypainting in more detail by looking at the subject matter and stylistic elements like color and brushwork that made...
Below we look at the Thomas Gainsborough Blue Boy painting in more detail because it was also a costume study as much as it was a portrait. It is important to look at the finer details of what makes the subject matter so “iconic”. Furthermore, Gainsborough’s style of painting also planted the seeds for the Impressioniststo come; his painting style ...
The Blue Boy painting is well over 200 years old, and it still retains the luster of style, although the boy in the painting has been reported not to be royalty. Nonetheless, Gainsborough has left us with his unique style that would continue to inspire other art movements throughout the years, namely Impressionism. However, he also inspired notable...
Who Painted Blue Boy?
The Blue Boy was painted by the United Kingdom artist, Thomas Gainsborough in 1770. It is an oil on canvas paintingstanding almost at full-length in size. It is now housed at the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Garden in San Marino, California.
What Is The Blue Boy Painting Value?
The Blue Boy was bought by the American businessman, Henry Edwards Huntington. He reportedly bought the painting in 1921 for $728, 800.
Was Pinkie Also Painted By Thomas Gainsborough?
The Pinkie (1794) painting was not by Thomas Gainsborough, who painted Blue Boy (c. 1770). Many would believe it was because it hangs across from The Blue Boy painting in the Huntington Art Gallery and the two paintings appear similar in their style. Pinkie was painted by Thomas Lawrence, who was also an English artist during the 18thcentury. The girl who was nicknamed “Pinkie” was Sarah Goodin Barrett Moulton.
Learn about the famous portrait of a young gentleman in blue by Thomas Gainsborough, a Rococo artist from England. Discover the possible identity of the sitter, the influence of Van Dyck, the value of the painting, and its upcoming return to England.
- Alicia du Plessis
- Thomas Gainsborough
- ( Author And Art History Expert )
- c. 1770
Jan 21, 2022 · The boy is believed to be the artist's nephew, Gainsborough Dupont, dressed in a 17th-Century aristocratic costume as an act of homage to Sir Anthony van Dyck, an artist whose techniques and ...
Feb 4, 2022 · Learn about the iconic 1770 painting of a young boy in a blue suit by Thomas Gainsborough, which was once the most expensive artwork in the world. Discover its origins, controversies, influences, and recent conservation at the Huntington Library and the National Gallery.
- Tessa Solomon
100 years after leaving the UK, find out why 'The Blue Boy' remains one of the nation's favourites.
- 9 min
- 576.3K
- The National Gallery
Aug 27, 2020 · The Blue Boy is a famous painting by the British artist Thomas Gainsborough, depicting a boy in a 17th-century costume. It is based on the style of Anthony van Dyck and may represent Gainsborough's nephew or a wealthy merchant's son.
