Johann Christian Fischer (1733-1800)

Johann Christian Fischer from 1780 in the Royal Collection depicts the German oboist who was one of the leading musicians in Georgian London and who married Gainsborough's daughter Mary in 1780 — the same year the portrait was painted. Fischer (1733-1800) was celebrated for the expressiveness of his playing and had performed across Europe before settling in England; Gainsborough had known him through London's musical circles for years before the marriage that made him a family member. The portrait carries a quality of personal intimacy unusual even in Gainsborough's musician portraits: Fischer is painted as both a professional colleague and a son-in-law, and the combination of formal full-length presentation with warm characterization reflects both aspects of the relationship. The marriage of Mary Gainsborough to Fischer was deeply unhappy and ended in separation within a few years, but Gainsborough's portrait preserves the occasion of its commission with characteristic dignity.

Gainsborough renders the musician with characteristic warmth, using the soft, refined handling of his mature style to capture the performer's artistic sensibility.