A Young Gentleman, c.1760-65 (oil on canvas)

Portrait of a young, eighteenth-century man turned to the left slightly but looking towards the viewer. He is depicted wearing a uniform, possibly naval, comprising a dark blue coat with a red collar and metal thread embroidery at the buttonholes, a black bow-tie cravat, lace ruffles at the cuffs, and a grey wig. He is framed in a dark oval, which creates a contrast with the sitter's pale face. The identity of this sitter is unknown. The uniform he wears is not military but it may be that of a club or society. The painting is dated on stylistic grounds to the period which Gainsborough spent in Bath. This city became a very fashionable resort during the later eighteenth century. It was here that Gainsborough became established as a leading portrait painter.