Talk:The Blue Boy

Untitled
The rumor about the blue boy painted to counter Reynolds claims is horrendous fabrication that has long since been debunked. Please add a disclaimer that the rumors were circulated long after Gainsborough's death and that Reynolds had done many on his own in blue before the first Blue Boy was finished.

For further examination, I submit my sources: Brock-Arnold, George M. Gainsborough [and Constable] by George M. Brock-Arnold. London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1881. D'Anvers, N. Thomas Gainsborough; a record of his life and works, by Mrs. Arthur Bell (N. D'Anvers) with illus. reproduced for the most part direct from the original paintings London: G. Bell and sons, 1897. Hayes, John. The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough (text volume). New Haven: Yale University Press, 1970. Leonard, Jonathan L. The World of Gainsborough 1727-1788. Alexandria: Time Life Books. 1979. Waterhouse Ellis. Painting in Britain 1530-1790. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.125.81.95 (talk) 21:40, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

The Pinky
Perhaps a reference to the companion piece the Pinky? 69.125.81.95 23:01, 17 December 2006 (UTC) A Gainsborough Enthusiast

why is this famous?
As someone with no knowledge of 18th century portraiture and only a basic knowledge of art history, I think the article would be vastly improved by an explanation of why this painting is significant. What is unique or ground-breaking about it? Why was it worth so much money when Huntington bought it? How did it get to be one of the world's most recognizable paintings? -- Akb4 (talk) 03:56, 26 May 2008 (UTC)


 * why the Mona Lisa? it just is. Art cannot be "explained", it's just a matter of taste. 93.219.171.99 (talk) 12:21, 27 March 2011 (UTC)

Current Location of The Blue Boy Citation
The article indicates a Citation is needed for the current location of The Blue Boy. That citation can be found here: http://huntington.org/thehuntington_full.aspx?id=982

Shayna61 (talk) 02:08, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
 * I've added the ref. Mm40 (talk) 02:34, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Now on loan to National Gallery in London: BBC News - 24th January 2022 — Preceding unsigned comment added by BKStanley (talk • contribs) 23:46, 7 February 2022 (UTC)

Charles Holmes farewell scrawl citation
A citation is said to be needed for Charles Holmes scrawling farewell words on the back of the painting.

The NY Times has a scan of the original column from January 26, 1922 that reads: "At one of the stretchers at the back of "The Blue Boy" as it leaves London tonight is scribbled in pencil, "Au Revoir. C.H.""

It can be seen here: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E00E6DC1531EF33A25755C2A9679C946395D6CF

Shayna61 (talk) 02:26, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Added this reference as well; thanks for your contributions! Mm40 (talk) 02:34, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

Robert Rauschenberg inspiration citation
Thanks, Mm40, and you're welcome! This was the first work of art I was ever introduced to as a child, as it adorned the outside of the little trash can in my bedroom, and it has forever since held a special place in my heart. I finally got a chance to see it in real life at The Huntington just a few weeks ago!

Here is a citation for it being an inspiration for artist Robert Rauschnberg: http://www.obit-mag.com/articles/the-invincible-robert-rauschenberg

"On a visit to the Huntington Art Gallery, outside Los Angeles, Rauschenberg found a new direction, and American art history gained one of its most indomitable practitioners. Here the young neuropsychiatric technician saw his first oil paintings. One of them, Gainsborough’s Blue Boy, was familiar. Back home, it had been reproduced on a calendar. Painting pictures, he realized, was something a person could do."

I think that's all for tonight. :)

Shayna61 (talk) 02:40, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
 * Reference added. —WAvegetarian (talk) 03:50, 7 December 2009 (UTC)

What does it mean?
The quote by Joshua Reynolds could use some explanation for us lay folks. I heard during my younger years in an 'art appreciation' class that the reason Gainesborough painted 'Blue Boy' was in response to an arguement between Gainesborough and someone whose name I cannot now remember. The arguement was to the effect that no reasonable and pleasureable portrait could have as its primary color 'BLUE'. Thus, "Blue Boy". —Preceding unsigned comment added by Afn03388 (talk • contribs) 20:12, 20 December 2009 (UTC)

A "Vandyke" costume
The costume, called a "Vandyke" for the sitters in portraits by Van Dyck, was a standard item of costume-party dress-up at the time. Go to GoogleScholar and enter "Vandyke costume".--Wetman (talk) 20:05, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

Worth noting? The Blue Boy with a rocket ship in the background.
Is this at all noteworthy of including on the article?--DrWho42 (talk) 03:12, 11 June 2010 (UTC) thumb|ReVisions

James Bond, Die Another Day
The painting that gets slashed during the swordfight between Bond and Graves is a reproduction of Thomas Gainsborough's famous "Blue Boy" from 1770. The original "Blue Boy" hangs in the Huntington Library (San Marino, Calif.) The reproduction was hand-painted by Lyons Corner House Fine Art Reproductions in London. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246460/trivia — Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.31.82.65 (talk) 23:53, 16 May 2012 (UTC)

Coraline
99.233.146.36 (talk) 02:13, 17 July 2013 (UTC) Hi, I'm just writing a paper on Coraline - the 2008 film, and thought the reference to The Blue Boy painting might be of interest. pop culture references?

some quotations:

http://popcornandpopcornandpopcorn.blogspot.ca/2013/03/coraline.html

''Also in the film there appear more than one allusion to art and literature, mostly in a balance between satiric and sardonic tones. Gainsborough's famous painting Blue Boy is presented in a mocking light, as is the famous painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. Both of these enormously popular paintings are belittled in the film, treating the masterpieces of art in a much realer sense than they are normally treated. This is the personal touch of director Henry Selick; Gaiman's book did not include all of the artistic allusions. '' http://animatedmovies101.blogspot.ca/2011/06/coraline.html

''She emerges… in her own living room. “HUH?” This time the blue boy in the painting, who earlier could be seen crying over dropping his entire ice cream cone on the ground, is now thrilled with his triple stack.''

http://www.locusmag.com/2009/Reviews_Coraline.html

(To locate in the film the theme that getting everything you want is not desirable, one must observe contrasting portraits: Coraline's real house has a painting of a boy vaguely recalling Thomas Gainsborough's The Blue Boy crying because the ice cream has fallen out of his cone, illustrating the true vicissitudes of life; the painting in the other mother's house has the same boy happily holding a cone filled with ice cream ready to eat, illustrating the superficial attractiveness of her alternate world.)

sample pictures - http://24.media.tumblr.com/265240e3ce480192b3d39c736ea21c1d/tumblr_mq26908ozQ1qbq3lwo1_500.png and http://25.media.tumblr.com/ffe03b0d94d5b596de6583d5e522ca59/tumblr_mq26908ozQ1qbq3lwo2_500.png

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