Gainsborough and Reynolds: The Art of Rivalry in Georgian London

By Jacqueline Riding

When two ambitious young Englishmen arrive in the metropolis, their rivalry changes the course of Western Art

Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) and Joshua Reynolds (1723-92) were viewed as bitter rivals throughout their lifetimes and beyond. Despite similar upbringings in English counties far from the capital, they had completely different characters, opposing attitudes to life and art, and distinct career paths. Even as neighbours in London they were rarely seen in the same room at the same time, to the bewilderment of mutual friends and professional colleagues. Their common ground was the Royal Academy of Arts, of which Reynolds was founding president, with its annual showcase of contemporary art, the crucible of their shared competitiveness and personal animosity.

For the first time, 300 years since they were born and published in the year of Gainsborough's tricentenary, Jacqueline Riding explores the lives, loves and loathing of these two formidable artists side-by-side and in the round: venturing behind the closed doors of home and studio, alongside the hallowed halls of the academy and public realms, to reveal aspects of their female-dominated domestic lives and male-dominated businesses that both kept private. Structured around significant episodes and themes, she paints a vibrant double portrait that is inventive, captivating and surprising.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 030028490X
• ISBN13: 9780300284904
• Release Date: February 2027
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 408 Pages