The Blue Boy
Thomas Gainsborough · 1770
Why it's great
A young man in a shimmering blue satin suit stands proudly against a stormy landscape. Gainsborough painted it partly to prove he could use blue as a main color — something many artists of his day believed was a mistake. It became hugely famous, and in 1922 it was shipped from England to California, drawing crowds who came to say goodbye. It's a classic of British portrait painting.
Where to see it
📍 The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical GardensSan Marino, United States
Open in Maps ↗Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.
Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, a small town in England, and moved to London as a teenager to study art. He became one of Britain's most fashionable portrait painters, working in Bath and London. He secretly preferred painting landscapes, and he loved music. His elegant, feathery brushstrokes made his sitters seem alive.
