Gainsborough Dupont facts for kids

Portrait of Gainsborough Dupont by Thomas Gainsborough, now in Tate Britain

Dupont has been speculated to be the subject of "The Blue Boy" (1770) by Thomas Gainsborough.

Gainsborough Dupont (born 1754 – died 1797) was a British artist. He was the nephew and student of the famous painter Thomas Gainsborough. Dupont learned a lot from his uncle and became a talented artist in his own right.

A Young Artist's Journey

Gainsborough Dupont - A Wooded Landscape with Cattle and Herdsman

Gainsborough Dupont was born in Sudbury, England, on December 20, 1754. His mother, Sarah, was the sister of the well-known artist Thomas Gainsborough. In 1772, when Dupont was about 18, he became his uncle's apprentice. This means he worked and learned from Gainsborough. He was the only assistant Thomas Gainsborough ever had!

Dupont continued to work with his uncle until Gainsborough passed away in 1788. Dupont also studied art at the Royal Academy Schools. He became a student there in March 1775.

After his uncle's death, Dupont took over Gainsborough's art studio in London. In 1793, he moved his studio to a different area called Bloomsbury. Dupont painted portraits, which are pictures of people. He also painted landscapes, which are pictures of nature. His style was very similar to his uncle's. He also painted landscapes that included old buildings or ruins, much like the artist Nicolas Poussin. One of his most important works is a large painting. It shows the leaders of Trinity House, an organization that looks after shipping. This painting is in their meeting room in London.

Famous Prints

From 1779 onwards, Dupont created many prints based on his uncle's portraits. These prints were made using a special technique called mezzotint. Here are some of the important people he made prints of:

• King George III, a full-length portrait.
• Queen Charlotte, a full-length portrait.
• The Princess Royal and her sisters, Princess Augusta and Princess Elizabeth, all full-length.
• George, Lord Rodney, a famous naval officer.
• General Conway, a military leader.
• Colonel St. Leger, another military figure.
• Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, a clergyman.
• Reverend Richard Graves, a clergyman, shown from the waist up in an oval shape.

His Final Years

Gainsborough Dupont died in London on January 20, 1797. He was 42 years old. He was buried in the churchyard at Kew, in the same grave as his famous uncle, Thomas Gainsborough.

Artworks by Dupont

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  The three eldest daughters of George III, now at the Victoria and Albert Museum

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  John Stuart, 1st Marquess of Bute, painted in 1784, now at the Figge Art Museum

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  Anne Elizabeth Cholmley, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  George III of the United Kingdom, part of the Royal Collection

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  William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, now at the National Portrait Gallery, London

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  William Pitt the Younger, a famous British Prime Minister

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  Halt of Traveling Peasants by a Woodside, painted around 1790, now at the Brooklyn Museum