The drawing was acquired at the Cheffins Fine Sale
07/07/2026 Paintings, Drawings & Prints
The Fitzwilliam Museum has acquired a drawing by Thomas Gainsborough, dating from 1748 when the artist was only twenty years old. The piece was sold for £39,000 via auction on Wednesday 24th June at Cheffins in Cambridge.
Measuring 36.5 x 51 cm, the chalk drawing depicts a coastal landscape in Suffolk. It is the earliest known example from a group of fourteen drawings presented by Gainsborough to Goodenough Earle of Barton Grange, near Taunton, Somerset.
Goodenough Earle was one of Gainsborough's earliest and most significant patrons, who had a particular appreciation for the artist's landscape drawings. Gainsborough is known to have visited Earle at Barton Grange in 1760, which then marked the start of a long-standing friendship. Throughout the remainder of his life, the artist continued to present Earle with exceptional landscape works.
The Goodenough Earle collection of Gainsborough drawings was dispersed following its sale in 1913, with individual works entering public and private collections around the world. The drawing sold by Cheffins was purchased by the vendor's grandfather in 1944 via The Fine Art Society and has remained in the same Norfolk family collection ever since. Its sale was the first time the work had appeared on the open market in 82 years. Other drawings from the same group are now held in the Royal Collection.
The attribution and authenticity of the drawing were confirmed by Hugh Belsey, MBE, art historian and authority on Thomas Gainsborough. Mr Belsey, who provided the catalogue information for the auction noted, “This is an unequalled drawing that shows Gainsborough’s exceptional ability at the start of his extraordinary career.”
Patricia Cross, Head of Old Master and 18th and 19th Century European Art at Cheffins says: “We were delighted that the drawing is now going to be held by the Fitzwilliam Museum. Having come from an East Anglia-based collection, it is wonderful to think that the picture will be staying within the region.”
Elenor Ling, Senior Curator Prints and Drawings at the Fitzwilliam Museum comments:
“This is a beautifully observed early landscape that captures Gainsborough's remarkable confidence and ambition while still in his twenties. Large works from this formative period are not commonly seen on the market, and this drawing deepens our understanding of how he developed the distinctive approach to landscape that would become one of the defining achievements of British art. We are delighted to be able to bring it into the Fitzwilliam's collection, joining his early paintings already in the collection, where it will be available for everyone to enjoy and for future generations of scholars to study.”
Patricia Cross continues: “The drawing attracted interest from both institutions and private collectors, reflecting its importance as a rare insight into Gainsborough’s early artistic development. The work really highlights Gainsborough’s admiration for 17th-century Dutch landscape painting, demonstrating both his technical skill and remarkable ability to depict a sense of place.”
To consign items to sell with Cheffins, please contact Clair Eskandary, Estates & Advertising Co-ordinator on:
Auction: The Fine Sale – 24th June 2026
Location: Cheffins, Clifton House, 1-2 Clifton Road, Cambridge, UK, CB1 7EA
For further information contact the Fine Art Department on 01223 213343, [email protected]