Question 1

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough painted the Mona Lisa.

Accepted Answer

False. The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 1500s, not by Thomas Gainsborough.

Question 2

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough painted the famous portrait The Blue Boy.

Accepted Answer

True. The Blue Boy is a 1770 portrait by Thomas Gainsborough, housed at the Huntington Library in California.

Question 3

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough was born in London, England.

Accepted Answer

False. Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk, on May 14, 1727, not in London.

Question 4

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough was knighted by King George III for his artistic achievements.

Accepted Answer

False. Joshua Reynolds was knighted, but Thomas Gainsborough never received a knighthood from King George III.

Question 5

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough preferred landscape painting but earned a living from portraits.

Accepted Answer

True. Though Thomas Gainsborough preferred landscapes, he relied on portrait commissions for income, as landscapes were less profitable.

Question 6

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768.

Accepted Answer

True. Thomas Gainsborough was one of 36 founding members of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1768, alongside Joshua Reynolds.

Question 7

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough died of cancer in 1788.

Accepted Answer

True. Thomas Gainsborough died of cancer on August 2, 1788, at age 61, likely from a head or neck tumor.

Question 8

True or false: Thomas Gainsborough was a student of the painter Joshua Reynolds.

Accepted Answer

False. Thomas Gainsborough never studied under Joshua Reynolds; they were respected rivals in the art world.

Thomas Gainsborough Trivia Questions