The Honourable Mrs Graham 1757 - 1792

Thomas Gainsborough painted "The Honourable Mrs Graham" using oil on canvas, a traditional medium, yet the real story here is one of material excess. The painting is a monument to silk, lace, and feathers. Look at the way Gainsborough captures the light shimmering across Mrs. Graham’s elaborate gown, the way the fabric is draped and gathered, betraying the labour of its making; the way it cascades over the pink under-dress, each fold, each shadow rendered with incredible attention. This was a world powered by the textile trade, built on colonial trade routes and untold exploitation. All of this is implicit in the painting. Consider too the context of this work. Gainsborough was a society portraitist, catering to the aristocracy, yet he was also known for his painterly approach, which elevated the status of the artist's touch, the skill required to capture the material world on canvas. Understanding the social and material context of the work allows us to appreciate the complexity of Gainsborough’s achievement, beyond its surface beauty.