Why it matters
A youth in 17th-century blue clothing is shown about life-size, in homage to Anthony van Dyck. The sitter's identity is disputed: long thought to be Jonathan Buttall, he may be Gainsborough's nephew.
Did you know?
- It dates from around 1770.
- Gainsborough painted it over an earlier drawing on the canvas.
- It is about 180 cm tall.
Based on the Wikipedia article The Blue Boy (CC BY-SA 4.0).
