Ignatius Sancho Painting

This is based on the portrait by Gainsborough. The portrait of Ignatius Sancho was painted at Bath on 29 November 1768 by Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788). Gainsborough, perhaps the greatest British painter of the eighteenth century, resided at Bath from 1760-1774. As a scene of fashionable life, Bath attracted many of the wealthy and well-connected, who also brought their household servants with them. Gainsborough painted Sancho's employers, the Duke and Duchess of Montagu, at the same time. There is no evidence that Sancho and Gainsborough were personal friends, although clearly they met when the portrait was painted. The acquaintance was a brief one: the portrait took Gainsborough only one hour and forty minutes to paint.