DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.61291#0024
12
GAINSBOROUGH
fortunately a coldness ensued between the two
great men who were so well fitted to be friends,
the fault of which, however, seems to have been
entirely on Gainsborough’s side, for Sir Joshua,
to his credit be it spoken, never betrayed the
slightest jealousy of the new-comer. He called
on Gainsborough soon after that artist’s arrival,
but the call was never returned; and when the
President of the Academy paid him the com-
pliment of asking him to paint his portrait, he
showed no eagerness to accept the commission.
The portrait was begun but never finished, and
when Sir Joshua wrote on his return from an
absence at Bath to ask when it would be con-
venient for Gainsborough to receive him no
reply was vouchsafed.
In London, as before at Bath, it was not
amongst the leaders of society that Gainsborough
chose his friends. His chief companion at first
was his brother Humphrey, whose sudden death
in 1776 was a great grief to him; and amongst
the most constant visitors at his house were
Johann, son of Sebastian Bach, the Sheridans,
Garrick, Abel, and unfortunately also Johann
Christian Fischer, who was, strange to say,
allowed to come and go when he would, in spite
of the danger to the peace of mind of Mary
GAINSBOROUGH
fortunately a coldness ensued between the two
great men who were so well fitted to be friends,
the fault of which, however, seems to have been
entirely on Gainsborough’s side, for Sir Joshua,
to his credit be it spoken, never betrayed the
slightest jealousy of the new-comer. He called
on Gainsborough soon after that artist’s arrival,
but the call was never returned; and when the
President of the Academy paid him the com-
pliment of asking him to paint his portrait, he
showed no eagerness to accept the commission.
The portrait was begun but never finished, and
when Sir Joshua wrote on his return from an
absence at Bath to ask when it would be con-
venient for Gainsborough to receive him no
reply was vouchsafed.
In London, as before at Bath, it was not
amongst the leaders of society that Gainsborough
chose his friends. His chief companion at first
was his brother Humphrey, whose sudden death
in 1776 was a great grief to him; and amongst
the most constant visitors at his house were
Johann, son of Sebastian Bach, the Sheridans,
Garrick, Abel, and unfortunately also Johann
Christian Fischer, who was, strange to say,
allowed to come and go when he would, in spite
of the danger to the peace of mind of Mary