Thomas gainsborough (1727 – 1788)

Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, in 1727, the son of John Gainsborough, a cloth merchant. He soon evinced a marked inclination for drawing and in 1740 his father sent him to London to study art. He stayed in London for eight years, working under the rococo portrait-engraver Gravelot; he also became familiar with the Flemish tradition of painting, which was highly prized by London art dealers at that time. “Road through Wood, with Boy Resting and Dog”, 1747 is a typical “genre painting”, obviously influenced by Ruisdael. In many aspects this work recalls Constable’s “Cornfield”.

In 1750 Gainsborough moved to Ipswich where his professional career began in earnest. He executed a great many small-sized portraits as well as landscapes of a decorative nature. In October 1759 Gainsborough moved to Bath. In Bath he became a much sought-after and fashionable artist, portraying the aristocracy, wealthy merchants, artists and men of letters. He no longer produced small paintings but, in the manner of Van Dyck, turned to full-length, life-size portraits. From 1774 to 1788 (the year of his death), Gainsborough lived in London where he divided his time between portraits and pictorial compositions, inspired by Geiorgione, which Reinolds defined as “fancy pictures” (“The Wood Gatherers”, 1787). As a self-taught artist, he did not make the traditional grand tour or the ritual journey to Italy, but relied on his own remarkable instinct in painting.

Gainsborough is famous for the elegance of his portraits and his pictures of women in particular have an extreme delicacy and refinement. As a colourist he has had few rivals among English painters. His best works have those delicate brush strokes which are found in Rubens and Renoir. They are painted in clear and transparent tone, in a colour scheme where blue and green predominate.

The particular discovery of Gainsborough was the creation of a form of art in which the sitters and the background merge into a single entity. The landscape is not kept in the background, but in most cases man and nature are fused in a single whole through the atmospheric harmony of mood; he emphasized that the natural background for his characters neither was, nor ought to be, the drawing-room or a reconstruction of historical events, but the changeable and harmonious manifestations of nature, as revealed both in the fleeting moment and in the slowly evolving seasons. In the portrait of “Robert Andrews and Mary, His Wife”, for example, the beauty of the green English summer is communicated to the viewer through the sense of well-being and delight which the atmosphere visibly creates in the sitters. Gainsborough shows the pleasure of resting on a rustic bench in the cool shade of an oak tree, while all around the ripe harvest throbs in a hot atmosphere enveloped by a golden light.

Emphasis is nearly always placed on the season in both the landscapes and the portraits, from the time of Gainsborough’s early works until the years of his late maturity: from the burning summer sun in “Robert Andrews and Mary, His Wife” to the early autumn scene in “The Market Cart”, painted in 1786-1787, a work penetrated throughout by the richness and warmth of colour of the season, by its scents of drenched earth and marshy undergrowth.

It is because his art does not easily fall within a well-defined theoretical system that it became a forerunner of the Romantic Movement, with its feeling for nature and uncertainty and anxiety experienced by sensitive men when confronted with nature: ”Mary, Countess Howe” (1765), “The Blue Boy”(1770), “Elizabeth and Mary Linley” (1772), “Mrs. Hamilton Nisbet” (1785).

The marriage portrait “The Morning Walk”, painted in 1785, represents the perfection of Gainsborough’s later style and goes beyond portraiture to an ideal conception of dignity and grace in the harmony of landscape and figures.

Gainsborough neither had nor desired pupils, but his art – ideologically and technically entirely different from that of his rival Reynolds – had a considerable influence on the artists of the English school who followed him. The landscapes, especially those of his late manner, anticipate Constable and the marine paintings of Turner. His output includes about eight hundred portraits and more than two hundred landscapes.

TASKS:

I. Give Russian equivalents of the following. Learn the words and phrases.

to evince an inclination for smth.; to work under smb.; to become familiar with smth.; in earnest; to execute a great many portraits; a sought-after artist; a man of letters; to turn to (a certain kind of activity); to divide one’s time between smth and smth else; to be inspired by smb.; to rely upon smth.; to be famous for smth.; an extreme delicacy and refinement; to have few rivals; a brush stroke; a colour scheme; smth. as well as smth. else; transparent; to merge into a single entity; a manifestation of nature; a fleeting moment; a slowly evolving season; a viewer; rustic; the ripe harvest throbs; to be enveloped by smth.; to be penetrated throughout by smth.; undergrowth; to fall within a system; a forerunner of smth.; to be confronted with smth.; to go beyond smth.; to anticipate smb.; an artist’s output.

II. Give English equivalents of the following:

художник-самоучка; цветовая палитра (комбинация цветов); жанровая живопись; проявить заметную склонность к рисованию; гравировщик; фон; проявления природы; времена года; сливаться в единое целое; зрелые хлеба; быть насквозь пронизанным чем-л.; подпадать под определённую классификацию; предвосхищать кого-л.; оказаться в прямом контакте с чем-л.; наследие художника; достоинство (человека); филигранные мазки кисти; определять что-л. как …; высоко цениться (кем-л.); портрет во весь рост / в натуральную величину.

III. Make up sentences of the following words:

1. evinced, he, drawing, marked, for, soon, a, inclination; 2. became, he, with, familiar, the, tradition, painting, Flemish, of; 3. landscapes, a, he, nature, great, small-sized, as well as, executed, many, a, portraits, of, decorative; 4. self-taught, a, relied, on, he, own, painting, as, remarkable, artist, his, instinct, in; 5. is, portraits, famous, the, Gainsborough, of, for, elegance, his; 6. an, Gainsborough, of, on, pleasure, resting, a, bench, in, the, shade, cool, of, oak, shows, rustic, tree, the; 7. is, emphasis, placed, the, portraits, always, on, season, in, both, the, and , nearly, the, landscapes; 8. romantic, his, of, movement, art, became, forerunner, the, a; 9. neither, pupils, nor, Gainsborough, had, desired; 10. considerable, school, on, his, had, art, a, influence, the, the, English, who, followed, artists, of, him.

IV. Find in the text synonyms of the following words and word combinations:

1. to show / to take (an) interest in smth./smb.; 2. to put / to lay / to set / great stress to smth.; to accentuate smth.; 3. to alternate smth. and smth else; 4. to determine; 5. to count on smth./smb.; 6. a writer; 7. to engage one’s attention with smth.; 8. rich; 9. to change one’s place of residence; 10. in the fashion of smb.; 11. to influence / to inspirit / smb; 12. to stand out for smth.; 13. to be in great demand; 14. to be combined into a unity (two variants); 15. by means of smth.; 16. subtle; 17. to prevail; 18. display; 19. in the most instances/ usually; 20. to disclose; 21. in the brief moment; 22. (adj.) countryside; 23. to forerun; 24. to face smth./smb.; 25. to be imbued / saturated / with smth. (two variants); 26. disquiet / apprehension / fear; 27. to exceed the limits; 28. smb’s heritage; 29. herald; 30. clear / glassy.

V. Fill in the blanks with the proper prepositions:

1. Thomas Gainsborough was born …. Sudbury, Suffolk, …. 1727, the son … John Gainsborough. 2. He soon evinced a marked inclination … drawing; his father sent him …. London. 3. He stayed …. London …. eight years, working …. the rococo portrait-engraver Gravelot. 4. He became familiar …. the Flemish tradition …. painting, which was highly prized …. London art dealers …. that time. 5. …. 1750 Gainsborough moved …. Ipswich where his professional career began … earnest. 6. He executed a great many small-sized portraits … well … landscapes … a decorative nature. 7. …. the manner …Van Dyck, he turned …. full-length, life-size portraits. 8. In London he divided his time ……… portraits …. pictorial compositions – the so-called “fancy pictures”. 9. …. a self-taught artist, he did not make the traditional grand tour or the ritual journey …. Italy, but relied …. his own remarkable instinct …. painting. 10. Gainsborough is famous … his exquisite portraits, especially those …. women. 11. In his pictures the sitters and the background merge ….. a single entity. 12. … the portrait …. “Robert Andrews and Mary, His Wife”, …. example, the beauty …. the green English summer is communicated …. the viewer …….. the sense …. well-being and delight which the atmosphere visibly creates …. the sitters. 13. His pictures render the feeling …. nature, and the emotions experienced …. sensitive men when confronted …. Nature.

VI. Paraphrase the following statements after the given pattern so as to express unreal condition and consequence in the past.

Gainsborough evinced a marked inclination for drawing and in 1740 his father sent him to London to study art. – If Gainsborough had not evinced a marked inclination for drawing, his father would not have sent him to London to study art.

1. The Flemish tradition of painting was all the rage at that time in London and Gainsborough stuck to it in his early works. 2. Gainsborough, having become a much sought-after and fashionable artist, turned to full-length and life-size ceremonial portraits. 3. It is because Gainsborough was a self-taught artist and relied on his own remarkable instinct in painting that he made no traditional grand tour or the ritual journey to Italy. 4. Gainsborough treated the landscape not as a mere decorative background for his portraits but as their indispensable component, making the sitters and the background merge into a single entity. 5. In the portrait of “Robert Andrews and Mary, His Wife”, Gainsborough intended to show the pleasures of the country life, which seems to explain why he laid special emphasis on the harmonious manifestations of nature in the background. 6. It is because Gainsborough’s art does not fall within a clear-cut theoretical system that it became a forerunner of the Romantic Movement.

VII. Here are some actual translations by students. Choose the best translations and comment on the mistakes:

1. Gainsborough stayed in London for eight years, working under the rococo portrait-engraver Gravelot;

a) Гейнсборо оставался в Лондоне с восьми лет, работая под рококо гравировщиком-портретистом Гравелотом.

b) Гейнсборо остановился в Лондоне для восьми лет, работая над рококо гравировщика-портретиста Гравелота.

c) Гейнсборо гостил в Лондоне в течении восьми лет, работая под командованием гравировщика рококо и портретиста Гравелота.

d) Гейнсборо пребывал в Лондоне восемь лет и работал у Гравело, портретиста-гравировщика работающего в стиле рококо.

2. Gainsborough executed a great many small-sized portraits as well as landscapes of a decorative nature.

a) Гейнсборо исполнил великие большие и маленькие портреты так же хорошо, как и ландшафты декоративной природы.

b) Гейнсборо хорошо осуществил великие малоразмерные портреты как пейзажи-декорации.

c) Гейнсборо создал очень много небольших портретов, а также пейзажей для оформления интерьера.

d) Гейнсборо казнил великих с портретов маленького размера так же хорошо, как работал пейзажистом-декоратором.

3. In October 1759 Gainsborough moved to Bath.

a) В октябрь 1759 Гейнсборо пошёл в Баню.

b) В октябре 1759 года Гейнсборо передвинул Баню.

c) Октября 1759-го Гейнсборо поехал купаться.

d) В октябре 1759 года Гейнсборо переехал в город Бат.

4. There he became a much sought-after and fashionable artist, portraying the aristocracy, wealthy merchants, artists and men of letters.

a) Там он стал много искать фешенебельных артистов, портреты аристократии, богатых меценатов, просто артистов и письмоносцев.

b) Создавая портреты аристократов, богатых купцов, художников и писателей, он стал очень востребованным и модным художником.

c) Там он стал весьма востребованным и модным художником изображающим аристократию, зажиточных купцов, художников и авторов.

d) Там он стал пользоваться большим успехом как модный художник, рисуя портреты аристократов, богатых коммерсантов, художников и писателей.

5. From 1774 to 1788 Gainsborough lived in London where he divided his time between portraits and pictorial compositions, inspired by Geiorgione, which Reinolds defined as “fancy pictures”.

a) С 1774 по 1788 Гейнсборо проживал в Лондоне, где он делил его время между портретами и картинными композициями инспирированными Джиорджионе, которые Рейнольдс определил как «причудливые картины».

b) С 1774 по 1788 год Гейнсборо жил в Лондоне и поочерёдно работал над портретами и художественными композициями навеянными Джиорджионе, которые Рейнольдс называл «картинки-фантазии».

c) С 1774 по 1788 Гейнсборо прожил в Лондоне, где он одновременно работал над портретами и художественными композициями, на которые его вдохновил Джиорджионе, которые Рейнольдс называл «фантастические картинки».

d) С 1774 по 1788 год Гейнсборо жил в Лондоне, работая над портретами и художественными композициями написанными под влиянием Джиорджионе – «фантастическими картинками», по словам Рейнольдса.

VIII. Put the italicized words in the corresponding column.

1. He soon evinced a marked inclination for drawing. 2. He stayed in London, working under Gravelot. 3. The Flemish painting, which was highly prized by London art dealers. 4. “Road through Wood, with Boy Resting and Dog”. 5. In Bath he became a much sought-after and fashionable artist, portraying the aristocracy. 6. Gainsborough was a self-taught artist. 7. The atmosphere visibly creates in the sitters the sense of well-being and delight. 8. Gainsborough shows the pleasure of resting on a rustic bench in the cool shade of an oak tree. 9. The ripe harvest throbs in a hot atmosphere enveloped by a golden light.

The Present Participle	The Past Participle	The Gerund	The Verbal Noun	The Verbal Adjective

IX. Give English equivalents of the words in brackets.

1. Gainsborough soon (проявил) a marked inclination for drawing. 2. He (познакомился с) the Flemish tradition of painting. 3. He executed a great many small-sized portraits (а также) landscapes of a decorative nature. 4. He (больше не) produced small paintings, (а переключился на) full-length, life-size portraits. 5. In London he (уделял время) portraits and pictorial compositions. 6. As a self-taught artist, he (полагался на) his own remarkable instinct in painting. 7. Gainsborough (знаменит) the elegance of his portraits and his pictures of women (в особенности) have an extreme delicacy and refinement. 8. As a colourist (у него было мало конкурентов) among English painters. 9. (В большинстве случаев) man and nature are fused in a single whole. 10. The beauty of the green English summer (передаётся зрителю) through the sense of well-being and delight which the atmosphere visibly creates in the sitters. 11. The work (насквозь пронизана) by the richness and warmth of colour of the season. 12. It is because his art does not easily (относится к) a well-defined theoretical system that it became a (предтечей) of the Romantic Movement. 13. (Соприкасаясь с природой) sensitive men experience the feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. 14. The marriage portrait “The Morning Walk” (выходит за рамки портретной живописи, представляя скорее) an ideal conception of dignity and grace in the harmony of landscape and figures.

X. Work in chain. Ask your partner one of the following questions. If there is a point or two to be clarified, ask him to do so.

1. How did Gainsborough start his career? 2. What is known about the Ipswich period of his life? 3. What kind of practice did Gainsborough acquire in Bath? 4. What is a self-taught artist? 5. Why did Gainsborough place the sitter in direct contact with the landscape? 6. How is Gainsborough’s concept of the relationship between man and nature reflected in the portrait of “Robert Andrews and His Wife”? 7. What is expressed in “The Market Cart”? 8. Why did Gainsborough’s art become a forerunner of the Romantic Movement? 9. What role does nature play in Gainsborough’s works? 10. In what way do Gainsborough’s portraits differ from the traditional portraiture?

XI. Speak on the following points:

1. Gainsborough’s portraits. 2. Gainsborough’s innovative composition.

UNIT V.

PRE-TASKS:

I. Practice the pronunciation of the following words and word-combinations and learn them.

mainstream ['meɪnstri:m] – основное направление

to approach smth [ə'prəʊtʃ] – (здесь перен.) подходить к чему-л.;

осуществлять подход к чему-л.

to swallow up smth ['swɒləʊ 'ʌp] – (здесь перен.) поглощать что-л.

to turn smth to human use ['tз:n … tə 'hju:mən 'ju:s] –

– обращать что-л на пользу человеку

a constructed composition [kən'strʌktɪd ˌkɒmpə'zɪ∫n] – архитектурная композиция

Baroque [bə'rɒk] – Барокко (стиль)

varnish ['vɑ:nɪ∫] – лак

to supplement smth with smth else ['sʌplɪmənt] – дополнять что-л. чем-л.

an oil sketch ['ɔɪl sket∫] – набросок маслом

made outdoors ['meɪd aʊt'dɔ:z] выполненный на пленэре

keynote ['ki:nəʊt] – (муз.) основная нота ключа;

(здесь перен. ) лейтмотив, основная мысль

a standard of scale ['stændəd əv 'skeɪl] – единица шкалы (измерения)

smb's surrender to smth [sə'rendə] – (здесь) чьё-л преклонение перед чем-л

passionate ['pæ∫ənət] – страстный

acknowledged [ək'nɒlɪdʒd] – (обще)признанный

superb [sjʊ'pз:b] – превосходный, великолепный

orchestra ['ɔ:kestrə] – оркестр

highlight ['haɪlaɪt] – блик (света)

to set in motion a new current (in painting) ['set ɪn 'məʊ∫n ə 'nju: 'kʌrənt]

– «запустить», инициировать новое «течение» (в живописи),

дать начало новому движению (направлению) (в живописи)

to culminate in smth ['kʌlmɪneɪt] – закончиться чем-л.

a chord of colour ['kɔ:d əv 'kʌlə] – гамма цвета

to equal ['ɪkwəl] – равняться

to be equaled by smth – быть равноценным (равнозначным) чему-л.

II. Practice the pronunciation of the following (a) toponyms and (b) proper names:

(a) Stour (the River) ['staʊə] – р. Стаур

(в графстве Суффолк, восточная Англия)

Stroke-by-Nayland ['strəʊk baɪ 'neɪlənd] – (посёлок) Строук-бай-Нейланд

(b) Titian ['tɪ∫(ə)n] – Тициан, Тициано Вечеллио (1490 – 1576)

III. Scan the text and single out the main points of each paragraph.

IV. Try to guess the meaning of the italicized words. Match them with the corresponding cognate words in Russian where possible. When translating the words, mind the so-called pseudo-international words.

1. Nature was beginning to be swallowed up by the expanding cities of the Industrial Revolution. 2. The people were close to the land whose fruits and forces they turned to human use. 3. Constable studied the vivacity of Rubens’ colour and brushwork. 4. The studies show his passionate self-identification with sunlight, wind, and moisture. 5. The trees are made up of many shades of green and patches of light reflect from their foliage. 6. “The Hay Wain” was triumphantly exhibited at the Salon of 1824, where Constable’s broken colour and free brushwork set in motion a new current in French landscape art, which later culminated in the Impressionist movement.

V. Look through the text and write out all the unfamiliar words and phrases. Look them up in your English-Russian Dictionary. Single out the terms on the fine arts and learn them.

VI. Read and translate the text.