Thomas Gainsborough
| File:Blueboy.JPG Blue boy, painted 1770 |
Thomas Gainsborough was an English painter (1727-1788). He was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, England. With rival Joshua Reynolds, the dominant English portraitist of the second half of the 18th century. Thomas Gainsborough painted more from his observations of nature than from any application of formal rules. His best works, such as "Portrait of Mrs. Graham" and "Mary and Margaret: The Painter's Daughters," display the uniqueness (individuality) of his subjects.