Thomas Gainsbrough's Georgian home in Bath goes on market for £1.85m

Masterpiece for sale! Artist Thomas Gainsbrough’s four-bedroom three-floor Georgian home goes on the market for £1.85m

  • The Grade I listed Georgian townhouse is in Bath, Somerset 

The former home of The Blue Boy artist Thomas Gainsbrough has gone on sale for £1.85 million.

The Grade I listed Georgian townhouse in Bath, Somerset, was home to the 18th century artist between 1759 and 1774, and he used the house as his portrait studio.

The renowned artist’s most famous work was sold by his descendant in 1922 to railway tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington for $728,000, which was then the highest price ever paid for a painting.

The 1770 masterpiece has starred in blockbusters such as Batman in 1989 and Joker in 2019.

Gainsbrough also painted King George III and Queen Charlotte on a number of occasions.

The former home of The Blue Boy artist Thomas Gainsbrough has gone on sale for £1.85 million. The Grade I listed Georgian townhouse in Bath, Somerset, was home to the the 18th century artist between 1759 and 1774, and he used the house as his portrait studio

Thomas Gainsborough (shown above in a self-portrait) was one of the most eminent artists of the 18th century

The magnificent four bed property which spans over three floors, features a drawing room, utility room, kitchen, four bathrooms and a number of vaults.

It also boasts a fireplace, intricate period cornicing, working shutters and a range of bespoke built-in cupboards and shelves.

Stunning pictures of the property capture a sense of the Georgian era, with patterned wallpaper covering the rooms, which are filled with vintage furniture.

The home is separated into two separate dwellings. The principle two floors are presented as a three bedroom maisonette with a beautiful private walled garden.

The renowned artist’s most famous work, The Blue boy, was sold by his descendant in 1922 to railway tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington for $728,000, which was then the highest price ever paid for a painting

The magnificent four bed property which spans over three floors, features a drawing room, utility room, kitchen, four bathrooms and a number of vaults. Above: One of the bedrooms

It also boasts a fireplace, intricate period cornicing, working shutters and a range of bespoke built-in cupboards and shelves. Above: The living room

One of the kitchens in the property, which has been split into two parts 

The exterior of the plush Georgian home, which could be yours for £1.85million

The property boasts Georgian furnishings that complement the original exterior

The family home also has a garden, ideal for anyone looking for a safe place for children to play. It is also a stone’s throw from multiple school

The property is a mere 0.7 miles from Bath Spa Station, which has direct links to London – perfect for anyone who commutes. Above: The garden

The lower ground floor is a spacious one bedroom self-contained courtyard apartment.

Owners looking for an house with breathtaking views can enjoy Juliette balconettes overlooking The Circus in the master bedroom.

The Daily Mail’s report of The Blue Boy’s final display at the National Gallery before it was taken to the US

The family home also has a garden, ideal for anyone looking for a safe place for children to play. It is also a stone’s throw from multiple schools.

The property is a mere 0.7 miles from Bath Spa Station, which has direct links to London – perfect for anyone who commutes.

The Circus itself is a short stroll from Bath city centre, which boasts dozens of independent shops, restaurants, and cafes.

The famous street was also home to  18th century Prime Minister William Pitt and, more recently, Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage.

The Blue Boy, which shows a boy in a blue jacket and pantaloons, was originally unveiled at London’s Royal Academy in 1770.

It was originally called A Portrait of a Young Gentleman, but its nickname quickly stuck. 

It is thought to be Jonathan Buttall (1752-1805), the son of a rich hardware merchant, who was a close friend of Gainsborough.

Buttall himself owned the picture until he was made bankrupt in 1796. He sold it to politician John Nesbitt.

It was then sold again to artist John Hoppner in 1802, before Earl Grosvenor, one of the richest men in the world, bought it in 1809. 

Finally, in 1922, it was sold by his descendant to railway tycoon Henry Edwards Huntingdon, who put it on display at his Huntingdon Library in California.  

Film director Quentin Tarantino was so taken by this look after his costume designer slipped a picture of The Blue Boy into his research book, he modelled a costume for his title character in Django Unchained on Gainsborough’s distinctive subject

The painting, which shows a boy in a blue jacket and pantaloons, was originally unveiled at London’s Royal Academy in 1770. Pictured: The Blue Boy on show at the London gallery on January 25, 1922

The Blue Boy was also seen in 2019 film Joker, which starred Joaquin Phoenix  

Before the picture left for the U.S. in 1922, it was put on show at the National Gallery, where 90,000 visitors queued to say goodbye.

The National Gallery’s then director Charles Holmes wrote ‘au revoir’ on the painting’s reverse, in the hope that the painting would return one day. 

Last year, the painting did finally returnto Britain, so it could go back on display at the National Gallery. 

Film director Quentin Tarantino was so taken by the boy’s look in the painting that he used it to model a costume for his title character in Django Unchained. 

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