Edward Swinburne (1785)

Dated 1785, "Edward Swinburne" is an artwork by Thomas Gainsborough. Figurative in brief: Over the centuries, painters have used the figure to express social standing, narrative, and emotion. Portraits, group scenes, studies of the nude, and pictures of daily life all belong to figurative art. About the period around 1785: The eighteenth century began with the light, ornamental Rococo, especially in France, and moved towards the clarity and antique references of Neoclassicism by the end of the century. In Japan, ukiyo-e woodblock printing flourished in the Edo period and made colour prints a popular and affordable art form. The catalogue places it in Figurative. The format is portrait.

"Edward Swinburne" is offered as a printable file (Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI) rather than a shipped item. You receive the files by email after payment and handle printing yourself, which gives you full control over paper, size, and finish. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Measuring the wall before choosing a size is the simplest way to avoid a print that feels too small or too large. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

English, 1727–1788

If you like the visual language of Thomas Gainsborough, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.