Free Art History Curriculum: Thomas Gainsborough

One of Gainsborough's most famous paintings is "Blue Boy."
Thomas Gainsborough: b. May 14, 1727 in Sudbury, England (find it on the globe) d. August 2, 1788 in London, England (find it on the globe)

Style: Romanticism

See some of Gainsborough's most famous paintings. (You can also see most of Gainsborough's works here.)

Be sure to give your child plenty of time to study each work of art. Ask: If you had to guess, what would you say was Gainsborough's favorite thing to paint? (Answer: Landscapes.) How does he use color and light? Does his painting remind you of any other artists we've studied? Look closely at some of Gainsborough's portraits. What can you tell about the people he painted? What are they feeling? What kind of people are they?

* Biography of Thomas Gainsborough
* A shorter bio of Gainsborough
* Coloring page: Blue Boy (there's a more detailed version here)
* Coloring page: M Mm Andrews
* Interactive site: Learning about Landscapes
* Activity: Drawing a Landscape
* Activity: Choose Your Own Landscape
* Activity: Portrait Helps (use these blank faces to make your own portraits)
* Activity: Make an articulated manikin (useful in portraiture)
* Activity: Draw Emotion
* Video: Artists and their Self Portraits

Learn more about this free art history curriculum for kids, plus a list of all artists covered so far, by clicking here.


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