Edward Vernon

Edward Vernon, painted around 1753 and held at the National Portrait Gallery, is a relatively early work from Gainsborough's Suffolk period, produced around the time when he was transitioning from the small-scale naturalistic landscapes and modest portraits of his Ipswich years toward the more ambitious portrait practice that would culminate in the Bath move of 1759. The Suffolk years were formative rather than climactic: Gainsborough was developing his compositional instincts and his eye for character, working for a provincial clientele that provided professional training without the social glamour of Bath or London. The National Portrait Gallery's holding of this early work preserves it in the context of British historical portraiture, where it can be compared with later Gainsborough works in the collection that show how dramatically his style evolved between this early Suffolk manner and the feathery, atmospheric London portraits of the 1780s.

Gainsborough's early manner is evident in the relatively careful handling and warm, earthy palette. The composition is conventional for the period but already displays the natural sensitivity to character that would distinguish his mature work.