Show Original ef of f Canvas Son of Rich London Ironmonger f i Life of Blue Boy Revived in in Child Chill in the Painting Series By ALICE ROHEL ROUE ROllE Written ritten for NEA Service L When yoU young Master Butta back bac I In 1769 donned a blue satin Van costume to have his picture painted I he couldn't have posed so calmly and naturally if it he had known the furor his portrait was going to make in ir inthe inthe the world Of course he was proud to have havethe the the distinguished artist Thomas Thorna Ga Gainsborough h. h paint him but as his hii lather father was a a aman man of wealth and taste t ile e took it as a matter of fact That Thai That he or he-or or rather his likeness was likeness was one day to cost an American magnate more than half a million dollars would have hwe seemed as fantastic as that he himself would be known to fame not as Jonathan but as The Blue Bo Boy Eoy Jonathans Jonathan's father was a rich ironmonger ironmonger ironmonger iron iron- monger of Greek and King streets streeL Soho Among his friends was the theartist theartist theartist artist Gainsborough who had spent his youth at Ipswich where the But But- had much property The qui quit quilt t studious boy was accustomed to meet people of the art Rrt and literary world in his home When Thomas Gainsborough Gainsborough Gains Gains- borough h asked him to wear a blue satin Van Dyck costume he was probably probably probably ably too much of ot a a regular boy to bother about the reason After all English artists of the late eighteenth ei century were given civen to painting their subjects in effects But The Bl Blue e Boy was blue in more than costume It was Gainsborough's answer to Sir Joshua Reynolds' Reynolds assertion assertion assertion asser asser- tion that light licht in a painting should be warm arm yellow or red and that the use of ot blue could not produce a fine picture Gainsborough's reply sri in paint is of course one of the worlds world's s great masterpieces A Arid And d he did not have to wait until he was dead to have his work appreciated though his portrait portraits por por- traits trait rarely brought brou ht him over one on onehundred hundred po pounds Five hundred dollars dol dol- lars lars and and Henry fenry Huntington is reputed ed to have paid for The Blue Boy The portrait has a meaning other than its artistic principle It reveals that Gainsborough's hs best work was produced when he was inspired by certain qualities in the sitter Beauty and gentility and dignity of character aroused all the poetry and sympathy of oC the artists artist's nature He never spouted theories like Reynolds Renolds n nor r did he try to tell a story tory He Ho merely painted what he saw which is a fine compliment to Master who ho hois is revealed as a well bred young gen gen- The nicely modeled head drawn with precision glows with color The face is impressive because because be be- cause of its refinement and pure boyIshness boyishness boy boy- of expression The firm sen sea sensitive sensitive mouth the straight nose and fine eyebrows the natural grace of ot poise tell teU their own stor story When Jonathans Jonathan's father died the son succeeded to his business And the Gainsborough portrait remained in his possession until 1789 Although he conducted the big interests of his dead father until 1796 for some reason reason rea rca son or or other he sold most of his personal per effects at auction It was in 1789 that George Prince of Wales obtained obtained ob ob- ob- ob tamed possession of The Blue Boy which eventually passed through di dif different ferent erent hands to the Duke of or Westminster Westminster West West- minster from rom whom it was purchased for fot Mr Ir Huntington When Johnathan's Johnathan's Johna- Johna thans than's things were auctioned off there were a number o of Gainsborough's ou ough's hs h's sketches among the books paintings and musical instruments that went vent on the block And one item that takes our breath away was sixty dozen bottles of choice old red port He and Gainsborough had many runny tastes in common for the artist was musical and he loved books and cul cul- ture Gainsborough was born in Sudbury Suffolk in 1727 His father was a well well-to-do crape maker and importer of oC this funeral material His mother was a fine painter of flow flow- ers His brother Johnathan was a genius of sorts who as a youth In Invented invented invented in- in vented an airship Gainsborough loved the country and his landscapes are the thc pictures he loved best to paint Portraits however were his bread and butter and to this we owe The Blue Bo Boy |