Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) was one of the most brilliant and original portrait painters of the eighteenth century, surpassing his great rival Reynolds with his ability to capture a likeness and in his superb handling of paint. He was also a talented and sensitive landscape painter and has been hailed as the father of the British landscape school, paving the way for artists such as Constable and Turner. This book contains many of Gainsborough's most famous works, including Mr and Mrs Andrews and The Blue Boy, and also many lesser-known and revealing works.