Gainsborough, Thomas (1727-1788)
View in Suffolk
c.1755
Oil on canvas, 95.9 x 125.4 cm
Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis
The sun-drenched river bank, an amorous couple, and a leisurely rider offer a variety of details that create an idyllic setting. This scene from the English countryside (Suffolk county) reveals Thomas Gainsborough’s ability to record subtleties of his surroundings, which reflects the 18th-century interest in the natural world. Gentlemen collectors who participated in the Grand Tour appreciated Gainsborough’s ability to capture the quality of receding sunlight, as well as cloud formations and the textures of tree bark and clay soil. (SLAM)