The Rare Bird Review

Today's final stop is a matched set from The Huntington Library in southern California,  Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough and Pinkie by Thomas Lawrence.
 
The commentary on these two paintings is by Alfie, our cockney cousin who is an expert on English art. 

The Mae West known paintin' at the Huntington, Gainsborough's The Blue Boy, portrays Jonathan Buttall, the son of a successful 'ardware merchant, 'oo were a close mucker of the artist. The bloody work were executed durin' Gainsborough's extended stay in Baff before 'e finally settled in London in 1774. The artist 'as dressed the yung man in a costume datin' from about 140 years before the portrait were painted. This type of costume were familiar frough the bleedin' portraits of the great Flemish painter, right, Anffony van Dyck (1559-1641), 'oo were resident in England durin' the bloody early 17ff century. Gainsborough greatly admired the bleedin' work of Van Dyck and seems ter have conceived The Blue Boy as an act of 'omage ter that master. Guvnor 'untington purchased the paintin' along wiv Gainsborough's The chuffin' Cottage Door and Reynolds's Sarah Siddons as the bleedin' Tragic Muse from the chuffin' Duke of Westminster.

Pinkie,  is often paired wiv Blue Boy in popular esteem. It is by Fomas Lorrence, one of the bloody great portrait painters of 'is generation. It were painted about 25 years after Gainsborough's masterpiece and 'ad no association wiv that work until they boff were displayed in the Huntington in the bleedin' late 1920s. Executed wen the bleedin' artist were only 25 and shortly after 'is election ter the bloody Royal Academy, Pinkie is an extraordinarily fresh and lively performance wiv the bloody sitter standin' on an 'ill, right, her dress blown by the wind, init?The movement of 'er dress in conjunction wiv 'er frank gaze gives a sense of immediacy ter the bleedin' composition and expresses the animation of the sitter. The yung girl were the daughter of a wealffy plantation family in Jamaica, 'oo came ter England for 'er education. Called "Pinkie" by 'er grandmuvver 'oo commissioned the portrait, right, she were only eleven wen 'er likeness were taken. Sadly, Sarah died wivin a few monffs of the portrait's completion, probably of tuberculosis. Her yunger bruvver Edward were the favver of the poetess Elizabeff Barrett Brownin'. Pinkie were the last paintin' purchased by Guvnor 'untington, 'oo did not live ter see it installed in the house.

Thanks,  Alfie.
 
Coming tomorrow - The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli.