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Portraits Painted for Love, Not Money

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Portraits Painted for Love, Not Money
“Mary and Margaret Gainsborough, the Artist’s Daughters,” circa 1760–1761, by Thomas Gainsborough. Oil on canvas. Bequeathed by John Forster, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Lorraine Ferrier
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The family portfolio of the great British artist Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788) is the most comprehensive collection of personal family portraits by any artist—of his time or of any time prior. Collectively, these portraits are a unique peek into the life of ordinary 18th-century people, in this case a middle-class family, at a time when most portraits could only be afforded by the wealthy.

“The Artist with His Wife Margaret and Eldest Daughter Mary,” circa 1748, by Thomas Gainsborough. Oil on canvas. Acquired under the acceptance-in-lieu scheme at the wish of Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, in memory of her brother, Sir Philip Sassoon, 1994, The National Gallery, London. (The National Gallery, London)
“The Artist with His Wife Margaret and Eldest Daughter Mary,” circa 1748, by Thomas Gainsborough. Oil on canvas. Acquired under the acceptance-in-lieu scheme at the wish of Sybil, Marchioness of Cholmondeley, in memory of her brother, Sir Philip Sassoon, 1994, The National Gallery, London. The National Gallery, London
Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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