Thomas Gainsborough's Portraits Analysis

Thomas Gainsborough was well known for his conversation portraits, an informal group portrait, that showed his subjects wearing contemporary English fashion in beautiful landscapes. Landscapes and portraits were rarely combined, but throughout his career, he developed an aesthetic that successfully combined the two. One of Gainsborough’s earlier works in 1750, Mr and Mrs Andrews, shows newly weds, Robert Andrews and Frances Mary Carter, in their large estate. The painting tells viewer about the subjects’ pride for their expansive amounts of land. The painting is a great example of how Gainsborough integrated landscape painting with portraiture to tell a story not only of the people but also of their surroundings.

The oil on canvas painting measures 70 cm by 120 cm. The overall lighting is bright, making a cheerful feeling. The colors realistically reflect nature by using various shades of green, blue and brown. It gives a warm feeling, suggesting that it could have been painted in the summer. The painting is

He could not find money in his landscape painting, so he had to make portraits. Since he focused more on the landscape, his subjects in his early portraits were looked “conventional.” Mr and Mrs Andrews is a good example of this because one can notice how the landscape is far more complex than the sitters. Near the end of his career, his subjects started to look more vibrant and detailed. His later work, like The Morning Walk in 1785, shows how Gainsborough successfully created a balance between portrait and landscape. In contrast to Mr and Mrs Andrews, The Morning Walk has the subjects interacting with the environment by having the subjects walk through the surrounding trees and bushes. Rather than the subjects and nature being two separate entities like in Mr and Mrs Andrews. Gainsborough fully integrates both together to create a more expansive