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 616 Patnting cultivate his genius, when only fourteen years of age. He there studied under Hayman, one of the founders of the Royal Academy. Gainsborough remained in London four years, during which time he very rapidly mastered the secrets of his art. He then returned to Sudbury, where he married, and then removed to Ipswich. Soon after- wards he made the acquaintance of Philip Thicknesse, the governor of Landguard Fort, near Harwich, who for many years was his chief patron. In 1760 Gainsborough left Ipswich and settled at Bath, where he made a great reput- ation as a portrait painter. Sir Joshua Reynolds, when delivering one of his lectures to the students of the Royal Academy on the 'Character of Gainsborough,' said of that artist " whether he most excelled in portraits, land- scapes, or fancy pictures, it is difficult to determine." When the Royal Academy was founded in 1768, he was elected one of the original members. In 1774 he went to London and rented part of Schomberg House, Pall Mall. He died in 1788, and was buried in Kew churchyard. Gainsborough was passionately fond of music ; was ex- tremely kind and thoughtful in all his dealings with his friends, and generous to his relations. His pictures are very numerous; among them we may draw attention to the Blue Boy, belonging to the Duke of Westminster, the Cottage Door, a Cottnge Girl with a dog and pitcher, the Young Lavinia, the Duchess of Devonshire, the Portrait of Mrs. Siddons in the National Gallery, and the Boy at the Stile, presented to Colonel Hamilton in exchange for a violin. His portrait of the celebrated Duchess of Devon- shire was recently sold for upwards of £10,000. There are twelve pictures by him in the National Gallery, and three in the National Portrait Gallery.