Thomas Gainsborough

I thought I would take a bit to step back and look at the painting by Thomas Gainsborough that we saw close to the end of the tour. For those that don't remember its was the painting of the creepy boy holding his friend back as they watch two dogs going at it. It was called "Two shepherd boys with dogs fighting".

http://uploads4.wikipaintings.org/images/thomas-gainsborough/two-shepherd-boys-with-dogs-fighting-1783.jpg

It just amazes me how detailed this particular painting has. But I thought I wound talk not just about this painting but Thomas Gainsborough in general because there was a couple painting there that we saw. Gainsborough at the age of 13 was recognized for his talent in art and was later shipped off to London to study the Flemish style of painting (a paining trend that was fairly popular with art dealers). He got his feet off the ground with a couple landscape paintings.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Thomas_Gainsborough_-_Landscape_in_Suffolk_-_WGA8402.jpg

http://www.paintinghere.org/UploadPic/Thomas%20Gainsborough/big/River%20Landscape.JPG

Becoming ever more popular, he later became a founder of the Royal Academy. Before he died in 1788, he was able to paint King George II and Queen Charlotte.

http://www.history.com/images/media/slideshow/american-revolution-key-military-figures/king-george-III.jpg

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmeef7Zgew1qhpzs8o1_1280.jpg

During this lifetime, Thomas Gainborough painted 200 landscapes and around 800 portraits of the aristocracy! I think its just ridiculous to paint around 1000 pictures in ones lifetime with suburb quality. He must of truly been a hard worker to complete such a task.