SAN MARINO — The Blue Boy, the iconic 1770 portrait painted by Thomas Gainsborough, is going back to the National Gallery in London on loan from the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens.
The free exhibition in London will run from Jan. 25 to May 3. Upon the opening, it will be exactly 100 years since the painting hung on the walls at the National Gallery. The painting was purchased by Henry E. Huntington in 1921.
The Blue Boy was first hung at The Huntington when it opened to the public in 1928. It will remain on display at The Huntington through Jan. 3 ahead of its departure. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it’s typically closed. It will go back on display at The Huntington in late May.
“This masterpiece has made an indelible mark on both art history and popular culture, capturing the imaginations of a wide range of audiences,” said Karen R. Lawrence, Huntington President, in a statement. “Given The Blue Boy’s iconic status at The Huntington, this is an unprecedented loan, one which we considered very carefully.
“We hope that this partnership with the National Gallery will spark new conversations, appreciation and research on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, is stoked.
“The Blue Boy has held a place in the hearts of the British public since it was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1770,” she said. “We will be delighted to bring this extraordinary work of 18th-century British painting to the people of Great Britain once again.”
This is the first time The Huntington has loaned the painting. In exchange, a work from the National Gallery will come to The Huntington for display.
“We imagine,” Lawrence said, “this to be the one and only time the painting will travel, given its iconic status at The Huntington.”
Source: Orange County Register
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