This publication explores the rich intersections of portraiture and fashion in the art of the English painter Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788), one of the most sought-after society portraitists of his age and a continued inspiration today.
Gainsborough, whose importance was akin to that of later society artist John Singer Sargent, made hundreds of portraits, becoming one of the leaders of the fledging British School of artists. Very much a part of the social dynamic of the time, portraiture is described as a “means by which artists and their subjects could reinforce, resist, or break rules of social order.” The engrossing text examines how fashion was understood, often in complex ways, in Gainsborough’s time; how the artist would sometimes revisit a portrait to update a style; and how the documentation of both sitter and garment can be deciphered centuries after the creation of a work. Entries are provided on each of the twenty-five works in the exhibition that the catalogue accompanies. Hardcover, 200 pages.
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