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= The_Blue_Boy =
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Introduction
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'The Blue Boy' (c. 1770) is a full-length portrait in oil by Thomas
Gainsborough, owned by The Huntington in San Marino, California.
History
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One of Gainsborough's best known works, 'The Blue Boy' was long
thought to be a portrait of Jonathan Buttall (1752-1805), the son of a
wealthy hardware merchant, because of his early ownership of the
painting. This identification has never been proven and as Susan
Sloman argued in 2013, the likely sitter is Gainsborough's nephew,
Gainsborough Dupont (17541797). It is a historical costume study as
well as a portrait; the youth appears in clothing from the 17th
century as the artist's homage to Anthony van Dyck and is very similar
to Van Dyck's portraits of young boys, especially his double portrait
of brothers George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, and Lord Francis
Villiers.
Gainsborough had already drawn something on the canvas before
beginning 'The Blue Boy', which he painted over. The painting is about
life-size, measuring 48 in wide by 70 in tall.
In 1821, John Young (17551825), a printmaker and keeper of the British
Institution, published a reproduction of the painting for the first
time and told the story of how the artist painted 'The Blue Boy' to
contradict the advice of Sir Joshua Reynolds. As president of the
Royal Academy of Arts, Reynolds had lectured publicly on the use of
warm and cool colours in his Eighth Discourse presented in 1778.
This origination story appealed to the public's perception of the
distinctly different personalities of Reynolds and Gainsborough since
it set the two artists in opposition. As president of the Royal
Academy, Reynolds was a disciplined advocate of history painting who
played an active role in curriculum development and delivery, and the
presentation of the annual exhibitions. Gainsborough, on the other
hand, was a portrait painter and landscapist and remained aloof from
any academic functions. Reynolds was knighted in 1769 and wrote art
criticism and delivered lectures while Gainsborough never received
sovereign recognition and wrote lively correspondence as his written
legacy. These and other real and imagined differences between the two
artists were exaggerated in subsequent reports about the creation of
'The Blue Boy'.
Although it eventually became clear that the painting was completed by
Gainsborough eight years before Reynolds' Eighth Discourse, the story
about how it resulted from a challenge over warm and cool colours was
too good to give up. The repeated erroneous account propelled the
painting to international fame.
The painting was in Buttall's possession until he filed for bankruptcy
in 1796. It was first bought by the politician John Nesbitt and then,
in 1802, by the portrait painter John Hoppner. In about 1809, 'The
Blue Boy' entered the collection of the Earl Grosvenor and remained
with his descendants until its sale by the second Duke of Westminster
to the California railroad magnate Henry Edward Huntington in 1921.
Before its departure to California in 1922, 'The Blue Boy' was briefly
put on display at the National Gallery in London, where it was seen by
90,000 people. The British recognized the loss of Gainsborough's
painting in several notable ways including its appearance on stage
towards the end of the 'Mayfair and Montmartre' variety show at the
New Oxford Theatre in spring 1922. Framed on stage, dressed as the boy
in the painting, and flanked by cowboys and Indians, the celebrity
Nellie Taylor sang Cole Porter's "The Blue Boy Blues".
The Grosvenor family played a significant role in the increasing fame
of 'The Blue Boy' during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They not
only allowed visitors into their London residence to see the painting,
they also frequently lent the painting to important exhibitions,
including the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857 when 'The
Blue Boy' captured the attention of viewers who had likely never
previously given much thought to fine art. Gallery guides and
exhibition publications passed on the story of the disputed origins of
the painting and claimed that "there is nothing which has attracted
more universal admiration than this 'far-famed' painting." The
painting was subsequently exhibited to much public acclaim at the
Great London Exposition in 1862, the Royal Academy and the South
Kensington Museum in 1870, the Grosvenor Gallery in 1885, and the
Royal Academy in 1896, when it was identified as "the most famous of
all of his pictures" by a review in the London 'Times'.
In addition to viewing Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' in public venues, the
painting also appeared in publications and as individual
black-and-white and colour prints. It became a popular ceramic figure
and showed up in advertisements. The boy in blue also came alive with
men, women, boys, and girls dressing up in similar costumes and
pretending to be Gainsborough's youth at fancy-dress balls and
marriage ceremonies, in pantomimes and plays, and eventually in movies
and television programmes.
When girls and women masqueraded as Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' on stage
and screen, they brought about a gradual feminization of the youth. By
the early 20th century, Marlene Dietrich was photographed in a 'Blue
Boy' costume and Shirley Temple appeared as Gainsborough's youth in
the movie 'Curly Top' in 1935. Shortly after the painting showed up in
the main entrance of the Cleaver family residence during the third
season of the 'Leave it to Beaver' show in 1959, viewers increasingly
associated feminine traits with the boy in blue, leading to his
connection to an emergent gay culture.
In September 1970, 'The Blue Boy' was "outed" in the pages of 'Mad
Magazine' in a strip called "Prissy Percy". In the four-panel strip,
artist Jack Rickard and writer Frank Jacobs used contemporary
stereotypes of homosexuality to contrast Gainsborough's boy in blue
with a group of football players. Stereotypes linking 'The Blue Boy'
and homosexuality were well established when Hank Ketcham, the creator
of "Dennis the Menace," cast Gainsborough's boy in blue as a "sissy"
in a multi-panel strip that included a line by Dennis confusing the
painter Gainsborough and the Beat poet and gay peacenik Allen
Ginsberg.
In 1974, former TV Guide advertising manager Don N. Embinder (a.k.a.
Don Westbrook) published the first issue of 'Blueboy Magazine', an
upscale, gay bi-monthly magazine with nude photography, slick
advertisements, and articles by writers such as Christopher Isherwood
and Randy Shilts. Rescuing Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' from sissiness,
Embrinder introduced him as the embodiment of the recently liberated
gay man. The premier issue featured a bright blue cover with a
photograph of a young man dressed up as Gainsborough's boy in blue
from the waist up. Embinder re-appropriated Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy'
from the funny pages and transformed a derogatory stereotype into an
emblem of pride.
Among the gay artists who have embraced 'The Blue Boy' as a symbol of
gay emancipation are Robert Lambert (a member of Les Petites
Bon-Bons), Howard Kottler, and Léopold Foulem.
'The Blue Boy' was temporarily loaned to the National Gallery, London,
and placed on view on 25 January 2022, a century to the day since it
left the UK in 1922. It remained in the National Gallery for five
months before returning to the US permanently.
In October 2021, Kehinde Wiley's 'Portrait of a Young Gentleman' was
installed opposite to Gainsborough's 'Blue Boy' in the Huntington
Museum of Art.
In popular culture
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In Quentin Tarantino's film 'Django Unchained', the main character
Django, a freed slave, chooses to wear an outfit similar to that worn
by Gainsborough's subject in 'The Blue Boy'.
It inspired the 1980s Garbage Pail Kid "Blue Boy George" (fifth
series).
In 1985, the picture was referenced in the song "Art is for Your
Heart" on the 'Muppet Babies' episode "The Muppet Museum of Art", with
Gonzo wondering about the painting and Kermit stating the subject's
possible preference for green clothing.
The painting is seen in the movie 'Die Another Day' (2002), where it
hangs in a London fencing club, and is slashed by Gustav Graves while
dueling with James Bond.
The painting is also seen in the movie 'Batman' (1989) as hanging in
Gotham museum, and again in the 'Joker' (2019) movie hanging in
smaller form in the Joker's apartment.
The third season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation "Hollow
Pursuits" features Reginald Barclay's holodeck replica of Wesley
Crusher dressed in an outfit similar to The Blue Boy.
In the introduction of the television series 'Pee-wee's Playhouse'
(1986-1990), the painting can be seen hanging in the background while
Pee-wee is singing the theme song.
In the Disney Series 'Wizards of Waverly Place' (2007-2012) the Blue
Boy is also shown in Episode 21 of Season 1.
In the 2018 animated musical 'Charming (film)' the Blue Boy can be
seen hanging in the dining room of Prince Charming's castle.
The painting is seen hanging in Vincent Ludwig's office in the film
'The Naked Gun'.
In the movie 'Ghostbusters 2' (1989), the character Janosz Poha
contrasts a large portrait of the fictional 16th-century sorcerer Vigo
the Carpathian with Gainsborough's Blue Boy.
A split-second image in 'Teacher's Pet' shows a parody of the painting
featuring Leonard.
Over the credits of 'Cinderella III: A Twist in Time', a parody of the
painting featuring Gus dressed in this outfit is shown.
It appears as an in-game item in the 'Animal Crossing' series.
'The Blue Boy' inspired pop artist Robert Rauschenberg to pursue a
painting career. It is often paired with a painting by Thomas Lawrence
called 'Pinkie' that sits opposite to it at the Huntington Library.
On "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" in Disneyland California, before exiting
your car, you can spot a painting of Toad posing while dressed all in
blue and holding a feathered hat. This is a Toad-themed reproduction
of Gainsborough's oil painting 'The Blue Boy'.
'The Blue Boy' painting is a heavily-used prop in the 1929 Laurel and
Hardy comedy 'Wrong Again'.
The painting is also referenced in the movie 'Coraline' as a portrait
in the Pink Palace's hearth room.
The painting is seen leaning against the wall in the storage room of
the Salem police station in the Season 7 episode of 'Bewitched'
'Samantha's Hot Bedwarmer' which is the second part of the 8 part
story arc 'The Salem Saga' ( S7 E4). Production of 'Bewitched' moved
to Salem in June 1970 due to a fire at the Hollywood studio.
In the BBC sitcom 'Keeping Up Appearances' episode 'The Country House
Sale' (series 5, episode 6), Hyacinth is looking to buy a painting
that is similar to The Blue Boy.
'The Blue Boy' is parodied in the 'Pelswick' episode "Wheeldini."
In the 1973 episode of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' “Rhoda’s Sister
Gets Married”, Rhoda’s mother points out the painting in her and
Rhoda’s father’s apartment, saying, “Oh well, that’s just a copy”.
The painting has also inspired the name of popular coffee roaster
Methodical Coffee's signature blend "Blue Boy".
In the 12/14/1970 daily Peanuts strip drawn by Charles M. Schulz, the
character 'Schroeder' comments that 'Gainsborough' painted “The Blue
Boy” the year his favorite composer, Beethoven, was born.
In the Phineas and Ferb episode “Operation Crumb Cake”, Baljeet
recreates “The Blue Boy” out of red pepper flakes. The process causes
him intense eye pain and he regrets not making an eyewash station.
See also
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* Pinkie (painting)
License
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License URL:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Boy
