Gainsborough’s Sudbury

The renowned British artist Thomas Gainsborough, born in Sudbury in 1727, was deeply tied to the area of rural Suffolk in which he grew up.

A new exhibition at Gainsborough’s House, entitled Gainsborough’s Sudbury, takes an in-depth look at the characters, buildings and natural features that shaped the formative years of Gainsborough’s childhood. Designed alongside a walking tour leaflet of the same name – available from 5 March 2016 and covering many of Sudbury’s most significant historic sites – this small exhibition highlights the importance of Sudbury to Gainsborough and his legacy to the town.

The works on display come from the Gainsborough’s House Collection, and include paintings and drawings by Thomas Gainsborough; eighteenth and nineteenth-century landscape scenes depicting rural Suffolk views; and prints by artists such as John Constable, George C. Finden and John Nixon, along with a host of lesserknown local figures. Gainsborough’s Sudbury will be on view in the Lift and Study Galleries from 5 March – 5 June 2016, with selected works remaining on display in the Study Gallery into the summer. Copies of the accompanying walking tour leaflet are available at Gainsborough’s House reception and throughout the region, in addition to being offered at a range of London venues.

Image: John Constable, View of St Peter’s Church, Sudbury, 1814, Pencil on Paper