Portrait of Thomas Gainsborough
- Artist: Thomas Gainsborough
- Date: Late 1760s
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the *Portrait of Thomas Gainsborough* by Thomas Gainsborough. The work dates to the late 1760s, when the artist was in his forties, a period marked by a deepening mastery of light and texture. It was originally an oil on canvas that Gainsborough left unfinished at his death. Recent research by students at the Courtauld Institute has confirmed that the face was indeed painted by Gainsborough himself, lending the piece a more intimate, personal character.
After Gainsborough’s passing, his nephew and close collaborator, Gainsborough Dupont, took up the task of finishing the canvas. Dupont’s hand is most evident in the wig and the jacket, which he altered and added to the portrait. The jacket is a copy of the one worn by Gainsborough in his own celebrated self-portrait now housed at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, creating a subtle link between the two works.
This painting offers a fascinating glimpse into the collaborative practices of 18th‑century English portraiture. The combination of Gainsborough’s original, expressive brushwork and Dupont’s finishing touches results in a piece that is both historically significant and visually compelling. The portrait’s unfinished quality, paired with the careful completion, invites viewers to consider the layers of creation that bring a work of art to life.
See it in person
Portrait of Thomas Gainsborough hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
