Voting Station

Thomas Gainsborough

Please vote to return to collections.

Artist

The Resume

    (May 14, 1727-August 2, 1788)
    Born in Sudbury, England, United Kingdom
    Portrait and landscape painter
    Created over 300 paintings of which 220 were portraits
    Best known painting is 'The Blue Boy' (1770)
    Founding member of the Royal Academy of Art (1768)

Why he might be annoying:

    Early in his career, he lived off a £200 annuity that his wife received as the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of Beaufort.
    After moving to London, he became a regular patron of the city's brothels.
    He quit the Royal Academy following a dispute over how his paintings were hanged during an exhibition (1784).
    He became increasingly frustrated at having to paint portraits of the upper class to make a living, saying of aristocrats, 'They have only one part worth looking at, and that is their purse.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was also a musician, playing the harp, oboe and viol di gamba.
    He was the favorite painter of King George III and the royal family.
    His rival Joshua Reynolds said, 'Whatever he attempted, he carried to a high degree of excellence.'
    He is listed as one of the artists Ray Davies prefers to 'your smart modern painters' in the Kinks song '20th Century Man.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 12.50% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 46.67% Annoying