It’s so good to read that Thomas Gainsborough’s ‘Blue Boy’ painting (1770), is to return to England, on loan from the Huntington Art Gallery in San Marino, California to National Gallery in London. It will be displayed, in room 46 at the National Gallery in London from 25 January until 15 May 2022
The Blue Boy (1779) portrait in oil by Thomas Gainsborough. Huntington Library, San Marino, Los Angeles County, CA, USA.
Gainsborough is thought to have painted the Blue Boy to challenge his painting rival Joshua Reynolds, President of the Royal Academy, advice on the use of colour in painting:
“It ought, in my opinion, to be indispensably observed that the masses of light in a picture be always of a warm mellow colour, yellow, red, or a yellowish-white; and that the blue, the gray, or the green colours be kept almost entirely out of these masses, and be used only to support and set off these warm colours; and for this purpose a small portion of cold colours will be sufficient.” Sir Joshua Reynolds
The portrait is thought to probably be of one Jonathan Buttall (1752–1805) a merchant who owned the painting until he filed for bankruptcy in 1796,
Footnote:
The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough oil on canvas (1770) will be removed from display for required conservation work later this year 2018
Date: 09/05/2018
Location: San Marino, Los Angeles County, CA, USA
Photographer: Portrait by: Thomas Gainsborough
