Portrait of Margaret Gainsborough

Copyright

Work in the public domain
Image: Courtauld
by-nc

Maker


1727-1788

Title

Portrait of Margaret Gainsborough

Date of Production

c. 1778

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

Height: 76.6 cm (canvas)
Width: 63.8 cm (canvas)

Object Number

P.1932.SC.157

Mode of Acquisition

Samuel Courtauld, gift, 1932

Credit

Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Location

On display
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Keywords

Label Text

This portrait may have been painted to celebrate the 50th birthday of Thomas Gainsborough’s wife, Margaret. He portrayed her on various occasions throughout their marriage and her direct gaze - an unusual feature in portraits at the time - reveals the intimate bond between painter and sitter. This portrait might have equally been made to advertise Gainsborough’s talents as a portrait painter. Potential clients coming to his studio (and home) could easily compare the portrait with its model.

Provenance

Passed by descent to R J Lane; anon. sale, London, 23 June 1838, Lot 201; anon. sale, London, 7 July 1838, Lot 172; W A Sharpe, London (1841); Sharpe family; Samuel Courtauld (1876-1947), London (purchased 1921); Samuel Courtauld Gift, 1932.

Exhibition History

Gainsborough: The Fashion of Portraiture, The Frick Collection, New York, 12/02/2026-25/05/2026
Gainsborough's Family Album, National Portrait Gallery, London and Princeton University Art Museum, 15/11/2018-05/06/2019; National Portrait Gallery, 22/11/2018-03/02/2019; Princeton University Art Museum, 23/02/2019-09/06/2019
Thomas Gainsborough, MFA & Boston & US, 09/06/2003-14/09/2003
...More
Thomas Gainsborough, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 09/02/2003-04/05/2003
Thomas Gainsborough, Tate Britain, London, 24/10/2002-19/01/2003
Thomas Gainsborough, Ferrara & Italy, 07/06/1998-30/08/1998
The Gilbert, Courtauld and Wernher Collections, London & England, 07/01/1998-03/02/1998
Gainsborough, Bath, Ipswich, Worcester, Bolton, York, Darlington, England, 1949
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