One of the best-loved painters in English history, Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) was also one of the most personally engaging. Bon vivant, wit, amateur and enthusiastic musician, he charmed sitters and friends alike. His ebullient, if not always reliable, personality comes to life in these two memoirs, written by two very different friends.

About the Author
Philip Thicknesse, one of the most eccentric figures of the eighteenth century (he directed that after his death his hand should be chopped off and sent to his son as a reminder of the filial duties the son had scanted) was a close friend and shrewd observer of the painter whom he claimed to have discovered. William Jackson, a distinguished musician and connoisseur, also claimed to have been the first to see Gainsborough's talent, but after falling out with the painter over his reckless lifestyle, wrote an affectionate but clear eyed memoir.

Reviews
"The London publishing house Pallas Athene has come up with the very welcome and worthwhile project of assembling English translations of early biographies of artists in an easily accessible publication." - Historians of Netherlands Art Reviews



Book Information
ISBN 9781843681663
Author Philip Thicknesse
Format Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Pallas Athene Publishers
Publisher Pallas Athene Publishers
Weight(grams) 156g