Beschreibung:

Thomas Gainsborough
Autograph letter signed ("Tho Gainsborough"), to "My Dear Friend" [James Unwin], explaining that in recent months he has suffered from "so many returns of my Nervous complaint", reporting that he has recently moved out of central Bath ("…I have taken a House about three quarters of a Mile in the Lansdown Road. ‘tis sweetly situated and I have every convenience I could wish for. I pay 30 pounds per Year; and so let off all my House in the Smoake except my Painting Room and best parlour to show Pictures in. Am I right to ease myself of as much Painting work as the Lodgings will bring in…"), and emphasising the value he places on his friendship with Unwin ("...I always think that one cannot be too open to sensible people nor to reserved to fools; nay I believe I shoudl have blush'd to have confess'd that to an ass, which I did to you..."), with a postscript promising to update Unwin on progress with his wife's portrait in a future letter, complaining about demanding client, and reflecting on the symbolism of an image, presumably for a painting ("..Don’t you think a Jackass three quarters asleep upon the ridge of a Bank undermined and mouldring away is very expressive of the happiness of not seeing danger?..."), 3 pages, 4to, [Bath], undated but docketed by recipient 30 December 1763, strengthened at folds but with one small tear, some leaching from acidic ink
A FINE AND UNGUARDED LETTER BY GAINSBOROUGH TO A CLOSE FRIEND. James Unwin (1717-1776) was Gainsborough’s attorney and banker. Gainsborough completed a fine portrait of him in the 1750s; his portrait of Unwin's wife, mentioned in the current letter, was not completed until 1771. The portrait of Mrs Saumarez, also mentioned here, remains unidentified.
RARE. Only 110 letters are listed in The Letters of Thomas Gainsborough ed. John Hayes (New Haven, 2001). This letter is no. 12 in Hayes, but was only published in part and from a partial reproduction in a Maggs Brothers’ catalogue (Cat. 608 (1935), item 340, Plate IV).