Open IIIF manifest What is IIIF IIIF viewers

Portrait of Margaret Gainsborough

Maker

(Artists)
1727-1788

Title

Date of Production

c. 1778

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

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

Accession Number

P.1932.SC.157

Mode of Acquisition

Samuel Courtauld, gift, 1932

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

On display

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'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

Thomas Gainsborough, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 09/02/2003-04/05/2003 ...More

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 ...Less

Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection