The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly
ArtistThomas Gainsborough
Year1756
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions113.5 cm × 105 cm (44.7 in × 41 in)
LocationNational Gallery, London

The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly is a painting by Thomas Gainsborough. It was created sometime in 1756 and is now in the collection of the National Gallery in London.[1]

Analysis

The painting depicts Mary ("Molly", 31 January 1750 - 2 July 1826)[2] and Margaret ("Peggy", 19 August 1751 - 18 December 1820)[3] Gainsborough engaging in the titular activity. The younger daughter reaching to grab the butterfly represents the fragility of life while the elder daughter's apprehensive facial expression reveals her edging towards maturity.[4] The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly proved to be a pivotal moment in Gainsborough's artistry as Jonathan Jones writes that "[it] was one of the first works in which Gainsborough developed from his early, Dutch-realist manner to the exuberant scale of his later portraits".[5]

References

  1. ↑ "The Painter's Daughters chasing a Butterfly". National Gallery, London. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  2. ↑ Purnell, Timothy. "Mary "Molly" Gainsborough Fischer". Find A Grave. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  3. ↑ Purnell, Timothy. "Margaret "Peggy" Gainsborough". Find A Grave. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Glover, Michael (25 January 2013). "Great Works: The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly (c1756) by Thomas Gainsborough". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  5. ↑ Jones, Jonathan (23 March 2002). "The Painter's Daughters Chasing a Butterfly, Thomas Gainsborough (c1756)". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2019.


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