Thomas Gainsborough needs little introduction to audiences in the UK but the portraits on which much of his reputation rests have never been the subject of an exhibition in New York. That’s about to change: the Frick is displaying some 24 portraits to explore the relationship between Gainsborough’s art and 18th-century fashion (12 February–25 May). Though the artist was proud of his landscapes, it is his portraits, with their impressive array of dresses, petticoats, jackets and hats, that constitute a visual encyclopaedia of Georgian taste. Though the portraits were designed to be at once flatteringly timeless and representative of their moment, they were also subject to revision: Gainsborough would often rework his pictures if a sitter died, for instance, or if he deemed a costume change appropriate some years down the line. Portraits, the exhibition suggests, are more dynamic than they seem.
Find out more from the Frick’s website.
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