Mr and Mrs Robert Andrews, by Thomas Gainsborough

A look at a famous painting

“Mr and Mrs Robert Andrews” is a much-loved painting by one of England’s most celebrated artists. But what is the story behind the painting and its creator?

His early life

Thomas Gainsborough (1727–88) was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, to a clothier who was later made bankrupt and became the local postmaster. After being taught to paint by local artists, Thomas left for London in 1740 to be apprenticed to an artist and probably earned a living as a theatrical scene-painter. Before long he was clearly earning enough to be able to marry, which he did in 1746, and he developed an early interest in landscape painting at which he became highly skilled.

He returned to Suffolk in 1748 in the hope of being able to make more money from his landscapes there than he could do in London. However, this proved difficult, and he soon found that there was more call for portraits than for landscapes.

“Mr and Mrs Robert Andrews”

This was his first major success in portraiture, the work being started in 1748 and probably completed (but see below) in 1750. The chief feature of interest in this painting is that Gainsborough produced both a portrait and a landscape on the same canvas. It was not uncommon for…