The Boy is Back

Blue portrait returns to UK

A little over 250 years after it was first painted, The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough has received a new lease of life. The 1770 portrait was bought by California’s The Huntington back in 1922 so to celebrate the centenary of the purchase, the institution has commissioned Kehinde Wiley to create a contemporary response.

What’s more, the original painting will be returning to London’s National Gallery for a brief stint. The Blue Boy will go on display again exactly 100 years to the day since it first spent three weeks at the gallery prior to crossing the Atlantic in 1922. It is the first time The Huntington has loaned the painting, making this a rare opportunity to see the masterpiece on home soil. The Blue Boy is on display from 25 January to 15 May at The National Gallery, London. www.nationalgallery.org.uk