THE ART OF THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH

ON RESTRAINT, SENSIBILITY AND WHY GAINSBOROUGH'S VISION CONTINUES TO INFORM THE THINKING BEHIND 1812

THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH (1727 TO 1788) WAS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT BRITISH PAINTERS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. HIS WORK, PORTRAITS OF THE ARISTOCRACY AND LANDSCAPES OF EXTRAORDINARY ATMOSPHERIC SENSITIVITY, ESTABLISHED A VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT CONTINUES TO RESONATE.

WHAT SETS GAINSBOROUGH APART IS NOT MERELY TECHNICAL SKILL BUT SENSIBILITY. HIS PORTRAITS CAPTURE PERSONALITY RATHER THAN JUST LIKENESS. HIS LANDSCAPES CONVEY FEELING RATHER THAN JUST PLACE. THERE IS A RESTRAINT AND AN INTELLIGENCE IN HIS WORK THAT REWARDS SUSTAINED ATTENTION.

THESE ARE QUALITIES THAT INFORM THE 1812 APPROACH TO DESIGN. THE PURSUIT OF SOMETHING THAT HOLDS UP OVER TIME. THAT REVEALS MORE THE CLOSER YOU LOOK. THAT DOES NOT NEED TO ANNOUNCE ITSELF TO BE FELT. GAINSBOROUGH UNDERSTOOD THIS. SO DO WE.