Thomas Gainsborough, Captain William
Wade, 1769
Thomas Gainsborough, Louisa, Lady
Clarges, 1778
1727-1788
Gainsborough was the fifth son
of a Suffolk cloth merchant. He set himself up as a painter in
Ipswich, and became successful. His decision to move his portrait
studio to Bath in 1759 coincided with the Spa’s fashionable heyday.
Such was his success locally that ten of his East Anglian relatives
followed him to Bath. He lived first in a spacious Georgian
property in Abbey Street, since demolished. In such august
surroundings, he could entertain clients with witty conversation,
whilst applying equal dash to his handling of paint. Later he moved
uphill to 17 Circus, where he remained until he left for London in
1774.
Although we remember Gainsborough as much for his landscapes as
his portraits, it was as a portraitist that he made his living. The
landscapes he painted were done for his own pleasure at a time when
landscape as a genre was only just becoming popular. Gainsborough,
while charming to his sitters, was often frustrated by ‘the curs’d
Face Business’, as he referred to portrait painting in letters.
However, portraits and fancy pictures of peasants sold. Many of his
landscapes remained unsold at his death.
The portrait illustrated top left shows Captain
William Wade, the Master of Ceremonies at the new Assembly Rooms in
Bath. The Master of Ceremonies arranged balls and concerts at the
Rooms, and made sure they ran smoothly. This painting is on display
at the Assembly Rooms.
The second portrait is of "The sportive, heedless, happy,
and when she chose it, captivating Lady Clarges" This is Fanny
Burney’s description. Lady Clarges was an accomplished singer and
harpist. She owned several harps and made regular trips to Italy to
pursue her musical interests. She and her husband, Sir Thomas,
promoted outstanding foreign musicians in England. This painting
was bought in 1988 by Bath and North East Somerset
Council.