Thomas
Gainsborough
Biography
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Thomas Gainsborough outline biography
1727 Baptised on 14 May at the Independent Meeting House in Friars Street, Sudbury, Suffolk, the fifth son of John Gainsborough, a clothier, and Mary Burroughs. c.1740 Sent to London and was taught by Hubert François Gravelot, a French draughtsman and engraver. 1746 Married Margaret Burr on 15 July at Dr Keith's Mayfair Chapel, London and settled in Hatton Garden. Margaret Burr had an annuity of £200. 1749 Returned to Sudbury and lived in Friars Street. 1750 Birth of his eldest surviving daughter, Mary. 1751 Birth of his younger daughter, Margaret. Moved to Foundation Street, Ipswich. 1758 Travelled to Bath. 1759 Moved with his family to Bath where he rented a large house in Abbey Street. 1761 First exhibited at the Society of Artists exhibition in London. 1766 Moved to a new house in The Circus in Bath. 1768 Accepted an invitation to become a founder member of the Royal Academy of which Sir Joshua Reynolds was the first President. 1769 Exhibited in the first Royal Academy exhibition. 1772 Took as an apprentice his nephew, Gainsborough Dupont (1754-97). 1773 Quarrelled with the Royal Academy over the hanging of his pictures. He did not contribute to the Academy again until 1777. 1774 Moved to London where he rented the west wing of Schomberg House in Pall Mall. c.1782 Made a tour of the West Country with Gainsborough Dupont. 1783 Made a tour of the Lake District with his Ipswich friend, Samuel Kilderbee and also travelled to Antwerp. 1784 Quarrelled again over the hanging of his paintings at the Royal Academy and withdrew his pictures from the exhibition. He began to have annual exhibitions of his work in his own studio. 1788 Died on 2 August in London. Buried in Kew Churchyard. NLS link: Chronological report
Suggested activities: Construct a timeline or write an obituary