“Equal to the Old Masters”: Landscapes by Gainsborough and Rubens

Fascinating online lecture from the Wallace Collection looking at how Gainsborough was influenced by and compared to Rubens.

John Chu from the National Trust took paintings called “The Watering Place” by both artists in the National Gallery to compare their styles and to then to discuss whether Gainsborough had seen the Rubens and indeed whether he had used elements of it in his own work.

He then discussed the role of landscape in Gainsborough’s career and proposed, that like Rubens, it might have been more of a leisure activity for his and a way of relaxing while still producing art. It may have also been a way of commenting on the issues of the day such as The Enclosures, as well.

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