A young bourgeois in fancy satin and linen stands proudly for the painter, who created his best and most well-known work. The
Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough has always been one of my favorite paintings, and I have recreated it here on a 16x20 canvas with a model you'll find familiar (
Portrait With Cat,
Saint John by Caravaggio). I've made his face as young as the little aristocrat, and aside from the sitter transplant I've kept the rest fairly close to the original.
In 1770, Gainsborough took advice from peer Joshua Reynolds who said that blue can not only be the focal point in a painting rather than simply recede, but dominate the canvas. And dominate the Blue Boy does: with that blue satin sheen, the hand on hip and feathered hat, and confident look on the face that assures the viewer 'I'm here, I'm important, and I am worthy of being in one of the best portraits of 18th century Europe'.
I've been enjoying painting originals and exploring the character of the objects and views close by, keeping the grandiose and/or important subjects for later. I still love copying from great artists as it helps me to hone my skills while learning about the techniques, life and times of the artist (and what a time it must have been to paint portraits in the late 18th century, with such fashion!). As all artists before me have taken from those who preceded them, I will see as far as I can by standing on the shoulders of giants.
