Karl Friedrich Abel
- Artist: Thomas Gainsborough
- Date: circa 1765
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 49 7/8 in. x 39 7/8 in. (1267 mm x 1013 mm) overall
- Portrays: Karl Friedrich Abel
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In this portrait by Thomas Gainsborough the viewer sees Karl Friedrich Abel seated with his viola da gamba, its strings visible under a hand poised for play. The artist captures the musician’s attentive face and the subtle underhand grip of the bow—an intimate detail that shows how well Gainsborough knew the instrument. In fact, Abel taught his friend to play it, and the painter’s careful rendering reflects that shared passion.
Abel arrived in London from Saxony in 1759, becoming a celebrated concert impresario. He organized concerts with Johann Christian Bach and was famous for his performances. After Abel's death, Gainsborough wrote, “I shall never cease looking up to heaven … in hope of getting one more glance of the man I loved from the moment I heard him touch the string.” The canvas is oil on a large square‑canvas and shows a man who both played music and inspired another master painter.
See it in person
Karl Friedrich Abel is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
