Gainsborough is widely acknowledged as one of the masters of eighteenth-century art. Published to accompany a major exhibition at Tate Britain in the Autumn of 2002, this book demonstrates the sheer range, quality and originality of Gainborough's ouevre, from his naturalistic landscapes to his glamorous yet highly sophisticated portraits. Alongside some of the most familiar images in British art, epitomising the elegance and charm of the age, these are rarely seen examples that contibute a new and perhaps surprising vision of the artist's work. Favouring visual pleasure over convention, yet producing works that are intellectually rewarding and vibrant, Gainsborough, as this book reveals, has a continuing significance for British culture today.