Why is Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' so famous? | National Gallery
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- 100 years after leaving the UK, find out why 'The Blue Boy' remains one of the nation's favourites. Christine Riding, The Jacob Rothschild Head of the Curatorial Department, introduces our new exhibition, 'Gainsborough's Blue Boy', now on display in Room 46 until 15 May 2022.
Find out more about the exhibition here: www.nationalgallery.org.uk/ex...
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The National Gallery houses the national collection of paintings in the Western European tradition from the 13th to the 19th centuries. The museum is free of charge and open 361 days per year, daily between 10.00 am - 6.00 pm and on Fridays between 10.00 am - 9.00 pm.
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Having grown up near San Marino, I had seen this painting regularly since I was a little boy. I am still drawn to the Huntington Library to see it. They should have sent Pinkie with the Blue Boy so as not to split up the two.
I am sure she is sad while she waits for his return. I will delay my trip to california until I know he is back.
I was thinking the very same thing. Seeing them in the same room on opposite walls was always a lovely experience when visiting the H.
@@hrh4961 Pinky has been my favorite portrait painting since I first saw it. I am not an art connoisseur I just find it more endearing and engaging. I run past the Huntington Library on my running days since I moved to Pasadena 33 years ago and visit often. There is always something to interesting and important to see. And they serve great lunches.
I saw it in 1978 at Huntington Library. It was a wonderful experience I will never forget. It is so sad we have almost erased all Art and Music from American Schools.
My grandmother had a print of Blue Boy and Pinkie. Every time I see either of them (together or apart), it makes me smile. I'm happy to get a bit of history behind this painting.
I live in Southern California and love seeing this painting whenever I visit the Huntington Library and Gardens. It's nice that he gets to see his ancestral homeland again for a bit after a hundred years! This must be a special moment for the people of London to witness. :)
So was it sold back? What happened?
Now here is a beautiful lady that should be given her own TV series ! Upon seeing and hearing Christine Riding just this once makes me want more. Her ease and elegance in front of the camera is equally matched by her passion and knowledge. Love this channel !
I stumbled across this painting inside the Huntington library house quite ignorantly. It was in the same room as the "Pinkie" painting which was also gorgeous. I must say that I just couldn't take my eyes off of the blue boy. The blue satin fabric looking so rich and realistic was just unbelievable. I could imagine touching it. Although I know a human being painted it, I just really felt this was the stuff of magic. This painting is a bucket list must see.
My mother owned a bar she named, "The Blue Boy" & had a copy hanging on the wall. There is something so lovely about the painting, hard to put into words.
I love when learned people talk about paintings. There is something so intriguing about seeing, what you didn't see, at first look.
Blue Boy is my grandmother's favorite painting... having grown up down the hill from the Huntington Library and knowing this painting very well, my heart leaps knowing that he is paying a visit to his homeland.
Growing up, my family had Blue Boy and Pinkie, small, ornately framed, always displayed. I grew up with them and felt they were my friends!
@kategleason so did we!!!!!!
So did we!!!!
Before being transferred to San Francisco by my employer, I lived nearly a decade in Pasadena quite close to the Huntington in San Marino, where I was fortunate to visit frequently. I felt particularly grateful that there I was able to view "The Blue Boy" and "Pinkie" -- and countless other priceless treasures, to say nothing of the wonders in the Library, including a Gutenberg Bible, and then stroll the some 120 beautiful acres including its vast Botanical Gardens. It is a pleasure to see it back in home in the UK -- even if only for a short stay.
I saw a Gainsborough at the National Gallery of Scotland; the Honorable Mrs. Graham. It was breathtaking. The level of detail is quite incredible. The entire Gallery is full of beautiful, beautiful works of art.
Growing up as a child I remember my late mother treasuring her porcelain figures of the Blue boy and Pinky. They are sitting safely on my bookshelf now and still adored.
As a child this was always my favorite painting and painter. I was going to call my son Blue in hommage to it. I never had children sadly. So happy that it is back in the UK.
My mother had large, framed replicas of Blue Boy and Pink Girl hanging in her living room for as long as I can remember (along with The Guardian Angel.). They will always hold a special place in my heART. I would love to see the original paintings up close and personal.
Please support the local art programs in your community no matter where you reside. Thank you.
This ist true nice and beautiful colours I was remenber protec angel God bless you
I remember the first time I stumbled onto this painting at the Huntington. It’s always awe inspiring when that happens and you think, “wow, this is really here.”
What an elegant, absolutely well-researcher, heart-felt analysis of a painting I had seen a small copy of framed in my home as a child, but never had really thought much more than it fit my mother's porcelyn collection. The blue color and the way it is painted is absolutely beyond many of the great portraits we all know and love from the great masters.
Growing up in NC we had a copy of Blue Boy in our "fancy" roped off, plastic covered furniture living room. I think it was widely reproduced and I think was used often to "fancy-up" formal rooms. I remember we also had Rembrandts "Girl with Broom" which I think my Mom discovered watching Bewitched. I think Blue Boy was also featured on Bewitched as well, they featured a lot of fine art reproductions during the show.
I remember watching an episode of Bewitched, I think she was in some small closet or room with antiques, and there was a replica of a 'blue boy' print amongst the junk, or treasures.....i can't remember so long ago, but your statement brought up a past memory of that famous painting which i remember seeing on that sitcom,.......gotta look that episode up
Love😂!!!
My mother also had some kind of mass market representation of Blue Boy, but I can't remember what it was exactly, I do remember how much it meant to her as a symbol of status. We also had a pair of decks of cards, one with Mona Lisa and one with Da Vinci, they were kind of "high end", not just a typical Hoyle deck at least, with gold embossed edges. I think they were meant for Bridge, but I don't remember my parents ever having a "Bridge night". Funny memories.
My grandmother had it also plus "Pinkie". LOL!!!! Her furniture wasn't covered in plastic but there were white sheets that covered all the furniture!! LOL!!!!
Had a small copy in one of the bedrooms on one side of the bed as a kid. The other side the bed had a very 1960/70s, sad eyed kitten against the the brick wall picture.
Visiting the Huntington was a regular thing during my childhood in Los Angeles. I owe the Huntington’s my love of British painting and gardens.
I visited this painting every year, at the Huntington, during my childhood. My grandmother was a docent there and always smiled on it with such love. It was a piece that defined the whole museum and had an aura which let you know, “This is a treasure, and one we are lucky to have in California.” So pleased to see it returning to visit its home. Even if my first reaction, I admit, was one of selfish fear that if it should ever leave the grounds of the lovely Huntington it may never return.
An excellent, concise presentation, and Christine Rider is a simpatica presenter. Thanks!
I saw this at the National Gallery a few months ago. Awesome painting. Interesting to know it had been returned to the UK after 100 years away.
So glad that Gainsborough's great painting came back to London for a visit. I never take the Huntington Museum and its really spectacular Gainsborough and Reynolds collection for granted - and since I live in Los Angeles, I visit several times a year. To see the two artists' work together in one large room is really to understand their similarities and differences.
Great art and scharming
I live here in Los Angeles, so one must do when visitors come is to see the Huntington Library & gardens. The gardens are amazing, especially when the "corpse flower" is blooming, but the highlight is seeing the Blue Boy painting. It's always hanging across the room from the painting known as "Pinky".
I love Gainsborough's paintings and I'm so glad to be able to visit London in May to see The Blue Boy. Looking forward to that.
I saw it in person thirty years ago with my step-mother. what an adventure, a moving experience! We walked the gardens as well. Amazing.
I've seen this painting in the Huntington museum/botanical gardens. I am too drawn to it's confidence and elegance. Glad I got this break down of it's wonderful and cherished English history. Glad Thomas Gainsborough made his point to Joshua Reynolds. Loud and clear through history.👌 😌
I remember quite vividly in my elementary school’s auditorium, a copy of The Blue Boy and to stage right, and a copy of the 1794 painting “Pinkie”. Painted when she was 11, sadly she died the following year from some unknown illness. That was the last painting Huntington purchased before his death. Both paintings will always hold a very special place in my heart.
I'll tell you why it impressed me as a teenager...it was his eyes- he just looks right through you...and he is regal. I LOVE this painting. I saw this at the Huntington Hartford Museum in Pasadena... The painting is hauntingly beautiful.
Wonderful to hear the history of Blue Boy. Thank you.
Although I grew up around LA, I'd never been to the Huntington until a few days ago. Seeing "Blue Boy" up close was incredible. It's a painting you study in art history books, a true icon in Western art...and I never knew it was 20 minutes away from my dentists' office.
How very interesting. As as Swede, I think I may have heard of the Blue Boy in passing, but never paid any attention to it. However, in recent years I became interested in the stop-motion movie "Coraline", where a painting of a blue boy played a brief but important role. I have to wonder if the painting of the blue boy in Coraline (who was indeed called "a blue boy" in the movie) was a nod to Gainsborough's painting. As I said, very interesting, and it so happens that blue is my favorite color, too.
I was so very pleased to see him in the National Gallery while he was there. Captivating.
I had the privilege of seeing this marvelous piece a few weeks ago! Really happy to have witnessed this painting in person! Hello from VA, US!
So happy the Blueboy is home. As a wee one, I lived with Grandmother and she had a picture of Blueboy. I grew up loving him. She was a poor woman and I’m sure it was a cheap copy but love grows regardless. As a young girl on my own I also hung a Blueboy in my cheap apartment. Art has no boundaries. Thank you. So so lovely to see him. I’m grateful for this video.
These paintings are unreal. The talent that these artists had is just mind-blowing.
We saw this painting in my English class . And he was the reincarnation of our classmate, they were identical twins. We were shocked of the resemblance to him. That's my story of the blue boy
I never visit the Huntington without visiting this painting. I will treasure it even more having heard this wonderful presentation. Thank you!
Beautiful art tand treasure great painting
Incredible painting. I love the contrast between the boy and the rest of the painting.
I lived in Los Angeles during the 80's and 90's, which has a surprising amount of fantastic museums and world famous art. The Huntington, with its spectacular library, art and gardens, was tops to me, primarily because it has my absolute favorite painting, The Blue Boy. It really is a stunning portrait in person! I think that is because a determined Gainsborough succeeded in proving that blue could indeed be the dominant color of a painting! Interesting that this presenter did not mention that most art historians, at least in the recent past, believed that the portrait was of Jonathan Buttall. As stated in "The Huntington: LIbrary, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens" (published in 1983): "We have no certain information about the painting until after Gainsborough's death. The available evidence indicates that the boy is Jonathan Buttall, son of a prosperous hardware merchant and a friend of Gainsborough." I wonder at what point the balance tipped away from thinking it was Buttall and towards Gainsborough's nephew? Or if there is a large amount of general disagreement? The art world really is endlessly fascinating.
I went to see the Blue Boy yesterday at the National Gallery was wonderful to see thank you to all that made this possible
When I was an art student at PCC it was still free to go to the Huntington Library. It was an art student's dream come true. We students were encouraged to take a sketch pad and figure out how the masters did it from the works there. The Ruebens collection was breathtaking.
I grew up going to the Huntington Library (one summer I went at least 3 times a week because my parents got me a season pass for Christmas!), and every time I go home, I go back, walk around the gardens and galleries, and then make sure to always pop in the main house gallery to say hello to my old friends Blue Boy and Pinkie. All that time I didn't really know how significant it was. It has always just been such a fixture of my childhood I guess I took him a bit for granted. I have both Blue Boy and Pinkie as well as a few of my other favorite portraits from the Huntington as postcards hanging on my wall to remind me of home. Thanks for the lovely history lesson!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for this. Christine Riding pitches everything perfectly.
I was lucky enough to see it in person at Huntington Gardens. The beauty of the gallery, the buildings and the grounds (which is home to the best rose garden I've ever seen) eclipse the painting, in my opinion.
I grew up near the the Huntington and seeing Blue Boy. It was always magical. And the color---so vibrant and clear. I loved it so much. And the Pinkie too.
A fascinating discussion of this extraordinary portrait. What a surprise to learn that we don't know for sure who Blue Boy was. That the subject of sucha powerful and well-knonwn work by a famous artist is unknown is surprising---and sad.
This painting bewitches the viewer. Amazing. Another favorite of mine at the Huntington is the portrait of Sarah Siddons as the tragic Muse by Reynolds
I had assumed throughout that The Blue Boy had come home permanently and was saddened at the end to find that it's place in the National Gallery was only temporary.
So, it will be returning to the Huntington Museum?
I enjoyed this excellent talk about Gainsborough's Blue Boy painting. A DNA match and I (we share the same great grandparents) were just reminiscing about the replica of Blue Boy that used to hang in the front room of our Great Grandparents home in Florida. My parents would take us to Florida several times a year to visit with family. This little painting always had a strong presence in the room. Blue Boy now hangs happily in a cousins home I just learned today. Someday I hope to see the original. I enjoy learning about artwork and the artists who created these works and who their influences were.
Blue boy and pinky paintings hung in my living room as a child. They were replicas, of course, but we had a formal living room and it was just beautiful.😊
I can well understand how much the portrait has been missed by our British cousins. I hope it’s of some consolation to them, that it has been well cared for over here, and is much loved by visitors in its current home - including myself, a proud supporter of the Huntington.
I lived in Southern California for 27 years. I went countless times to the Huntington to see the gardens and the art collection. At least 3 times a year. What a wonderful privilege!
I loved seeing The Blue Boy (and Pinkie) at the Huntington, and seeing it in a beautiful home added to its mystique, rather than in an institution like a museum. I'm so happy that I have that special, treasured memory.
I grew up visiting the Blue Boy on a regular basis with my parents. He stood across the hall from Pinky at the Huntington Library. Now, 50 years later, I travel on business to London often and I always visit the National Gallery.
It's lovely that Blue Boy has returned for a visit to a national gallery for a limited time, Thanks for showing it online too so it can be seen forever.
Reading about this painting as a child is one of my earliest art memories. It turned me on to the stories behind the work and a lifetime of loving art.
I was extremely lucky to see this beauty at The Huntington.
Insightful, accessible, blessedly jargon-free presentation. Thank you.
It’s so lovely that it’s returned for a visit, will definitely go to the national gallery to see it.
Such a beautiful painting. And such a very interesting and informative talk.
Wonderful! I am looking forward to viewing this magnificent visitor on his brief centenary sojourn in London this Spring!
Seen this many times when I visited the Huntington Library. Likewise Pinkie. Glad this will be available to others to enjoy.
I'm so very happy to see it back Home to the National Gallery. I would LOVE to see it hanging there. Beautifully presented Christine. TY to you and the National Gallery for sharing this with us.
Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to visiting you to enjoy that great and beautiful painting!
I have a lovely tapestry version of the Blue Boy, done by my grandmother, hanging on the wall of my staircase. I look at it every day. I would love to see the actual painting.
I've never seen it before, but felt very drawn towards the painting, I do like the colour also his face. I'm a grandmother 👵 😌
Wonderful. Thank you for posting this. She's terrific.
We had a copy of this painting in my house growing up, in my parents’ bedroom. It was some sort of print that had real paint on it, so you could see the brushstrokes. It always fascinated me, the clothes were so interesting, I wanted to know that boy’s story. Cool to hear the history of the real painting.
Excellent presentation. Thanks for sharing.
Thank-you for showing us this wonderful work of art as well as for the very interesting talk!
Thank you National Gallery for this really nice video as well as the very interesting presentation by Mrs Rider .. I really watched it a few times .. GREAT that this painting is finally back after 100 years .. Thanks again and ENJOY !
Wow! 90,00 people with exordinary great taste* showed up! Blue Boy is a timeless classic we all were shown in books as children💙
Thank you for a very interesting and informative video.
Beautiful presentation, thank you! :)
Glad the Blue Boy has returned. Wonderful history.
Wonderful video.
I'm one of the very fortunate folks on the west coast who has had the privilege of seeing him many times at the Huntington and feeling quite grateful for that.
Very nicely explained. Can't wait to see this painting again now that I know its history. Thank you.
I love the Black and white photograph, and all the explanation is wonderful. i am amazed!
I remember seeing this painting in an art book when I was a child. I am still fascinated by it!
I’m proud to say he’s in my ACNH island museum. 😎
I love these lectures, keep them coming!
I first saw The Blue Boy as a young child at the Huntington, in about 1970, and have never forgotten the thrill.
It was a wonderful place to take my children too. So many wonderful things there to view. Lovely museum.
I am 59. Growing up, my sister and my bedroom had a copy of this as well as pinkie. Even the copies were absolutely beautiful.
I'm an American who grew up in New England in the 1950's and 1960's. The "most famous painting" in local pop culture back then was Blue Boy. Don't ask me why. That's just a painting that was always mentioned when the topic of Art came up in General Conversation. EVERYONE knew about it !!!
Thank you Christine so informative. and delivered with an engaging style.
Bravo and Thank You to all involved with this choice video.
Saw this painting a few times growing up in Southern California, as visiting the Huntington Library was a regular thing. As kids we just thought it was a bit awkward looking. Never knew it was such an important painting until now. I also just realized that the famous scene of the little guy saying “Look boss de plane, de plane!” was shot at the Huntington Library, and is from Fantasy Island, NOT 007
Thank you so much for your lecture, Ms. Riding. Very much appreciated.
This is my favorite piece. I always head straight to see blue boy and pinky when I get to the Huntington Library. I’ve been drawn to it for nearly 35 years. Glad it’s going for a visit across the pond and back home in 5 mo….I was worried for a minute!
My grandmother had a replica hanging in her upstairs hallway when I was growing up. As a little girl I would sit as close as I could so I could exam every line. I was always so fascinated. I probably will never get the chance to see him in person but I won't stop wishing.
Living in South Pasadena for a time and visiting the Huntington Library, it is something to see..
Lovely to hear such a wonderful presentation without an ounce of politics or jargon.
Excellent. Great presentation; all the key information to 'place' this great work of art in space and time and in the hearts of art lovers, in ~9 minutes. I will be looking for more videos in this series and perhaps someday to see the 'Blue Boy' in person. Cheers from Canada.
Great and beautiful courges
Looking at this work of art changed my life. I see everything in a different way.
Very informative....one of my favourite portrait painters! Thank you!
My father had a lunch box,way back in the 40s.This Blue Boy had me fascinated.To this. day,he still has my attention.
I have two small images of him on my lounge wall.
What a wonderfully informative presentation! Thank you.
We are members of The Huntington Library and it is a beautiful portrait. You will not be disappointed.
Bravo! Such an incredible picture and the insights have been greatly appreciated especially since I have a print of "The Blue Boy" in my bedroom currently!
Beautiful history and nice art
I'm lucky enough to visit Blue Boy regularly in San Marino. I'm glad he had a nice visit home!