Thomas Gainsborough painted ‘Mr and Mrs Andrews’, oil on canvas, (27.20 inches × 46.87 inches) in 1750. The painting was commissioned to celebrate the marriage of Robert Andrews and his bride, Frances Mary, which took place in 1748. The portrait is typical of the genre of ‘conversation pieces’ i.e. informal group portraits which were popular in the 18th century in England.

The artist gives ample attention to the rolling English countryside that reflects his lifetime love for nature. At the same time, it also shows his skill to capture changing weather and natural scenery in his artworks which was very uncommon at this time. Though he was famous as a portrait painter, Gainsborough always believed that landscape painting was his true calling. The canvas was put up for sale in 1960 and subsequently purchased by the National Gallery where it is still displayed. — M.I.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 3rd, 2015

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