Thomas Gainsborough's most reproduced image - The Blue Boy - once included a dog. It is thought that Gainsborough depicted an English youngster of the upper classes dressed in blue finery just to prove that blue can be central to an artwork. The original now hangs in the Huntington Library in California. Gainsborough painted out the dog at some point. No one quite knows why, especially as Gainsborough was particularly fond of the four-legged species.
Gainsborough's Dogs, the first temporary exhibition at the newly refurbished Gainsborough's House in Sudbury, Suffolk, has one proviso - no canine; no inclusion. Thankfully, there are enough of his works with dogs in them, and 26 of Gainsborough's paintings and drawings are included in the exhibition.
Diane Perkins, the director of the museum, chose the theme for a multitude of practical reasons. Firstly, economics. 'I liked the idea that most works were still in this country.' Luckily for Perkins, and by coincidence, most of the borrowed works came from East Anglia.
It is also a theme that had never been covered before, which meant there were possibilities for new research (why he painted his dogs mostly with men and not women, for example) and new
perspectives on Gainsborough. It also encompasses his entire range of landscapes, portraits, oils, drawings - where narrower subjects might not. And perhaps most importantly, it is a sure-fire way to bring in the local, countryside-residing, dog-loving public. 'It sprung up as an exhibition that was crying out to be done,' says Perkins.
Gainsborough's Dogs is important for Perkins' reputation in this small Sudbury community. It's a town where the population has a stake in Gainsborough. With his statue dominating the marketplace, everyone knows about the local hero and, as Perkins says, everyone feels connected to the house where he was born.
Perkins became the director of the museum as it was awarded a £500,000 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to stabilise the house, enhance the overall appearance of the interior and exterior, and redesign the garden. The results are stunning. By all accounts, the house was dilapidated before this grandiose spit and polish (new carpets, reinstallation of antique fireplaces and stripping back of paintwork to reveal early 16th-century features) that has returned it to one of those special architectural experiences.
Perkins feels she has already had an impact by unveiling the revamped house where Gainsborough was born in 1727. 'I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to make my mark. A lot of people in museums, however talented or despite their great ideas, just aren't in a position to have their say.'
Perkins admits that there is still some way to go on the interpretation. A narrative on Gainsborough's life is distinctly missing and needs to be threaded through the house. Perkins sees this next stage as phase three of the redevelopment project. 'We've got the building and the collection; now, what are we going to do with it all? That's the crucial thing.'
Perkins spent 17 years as a curator at the Tate in London specialising in 18th-century art. When structural changes took place with the opening of Tate Modern in 2000, her role became more about research and cataloguing rather than exhibition and display. At Gainsborough's House, she is happy to be back working on the latter.
But she does miss the expertise that big institutions afford, although she has called upon her former colleagues to help with specifics in the remodelling of the displays. At Gainsborough's House, Perkins is the only one with curatorial experience, which can leave her feeling isolated, she admits.
She confesses that her plans for the interpretation are in keeping with Tate-style. Each room will have a theme relating to Gainsborough's life. And each picture will be accompanied by a caption as well as a more in-depth discursive text - offering visitors a choice on the level of engagement.
Having co-authored a Gainsborough catalogue at the Tate in 2002 Perkins was already steeped in his work. And she has spent lots of her spare time researching and compiling a catalogue to sit alongside the Gainsborough's Dogs exhibition.
When Perkins' predecessor, Hugh Belsey, resigned after 22 years in the role, it was feared that scholarship would be sent to the back of the class. And, with the rejuvenation of the building scheduled, it was assumed that a business brain would be preferred to an academic one.
Perkins says there was never any danger of this. She says that luckily the majority of the trustees know the importance of scholarship. 'They have direct knowledge of the period or other arts organisations. They are an informed group'. One of the most recent additions is Christopher Lloyd, the former surveyor of the Queen's Pictures at the Royal Collection. Perkins' appointment makes it seem likely that the business experience was not as important in the trustees' minds. 'As a curator within a big national organisation and then coming here, 50 per cent of what I'm doing is completely new to me,' she admits.
The business planning, fundraising, and project managing have been as unfamiliar to her as some of the hardcore curatorial tasks. 'I will never forget the time when the trustees found out that I had never actually hung a picture before. At the Tate there were teams of people to do this for you, so I could stand around scratching my chin.'Perkins reveals little about Belsey's departure - he resigned after a long-running disagreement with trustees. But she says that the 700-strong Friends of the museum, who were extremely loyal to Belsey, are as supportive of her.
Gainsborough's House has a staff of 11 and Perkins is one of only two who is employed full-time. Alongside a part-time fundraiser, Perkins must work her socks off to continue to raise money for temporary exhibitions. She says the huge amount of work that a temporary exhibition involves - the fundraising and the research - means that they can only mount big Gainsborough exhibitions every three or four years.
The museum receives an annual grant of £40,000 from Suffolk County Council, and two lesser grants from the local district and town councils. The HLF grant included money for an education post over five years to work more widely with schools, both in the museum and on outreach. An education officer is currently being sought. An on-site print workshop generated £34,000 through courses and artists' subscriptions last year. But most of that is ploughed back into the workshop.
Behind the business is an ethos of embracing the contemporary through offering artists the opportunity to display their work in the house. 'I think it is nice to not totally live in the 18th century,' says Perkins.
However, she wants the contemporary displays to be more integral to the Gainsborough theme. 'In the past, it's been a venue for anything goes. A lot of exhibitions have been devoted to craft and jewellery, for example. These are probably interesting, but I don't see them as relevant to the collection, so these will be somewhat curtailed.'
But how does Perkins expect to come up with varied temporary exhibitions in a museum dedicated to one man? 'I'm keen to have a tighter exhibition policy to make it more relevant to Gainsborough. But I am aware that it won't take long to run out of ideas.' So what are her next ideas for shows? 'Gainsborough's cats, Gainsborough's guinea pigs,' she jokes.
Perkins is definitely at home here. She is happiest in a hands-on role and this is the varied job she longed for while at the Tate. Perkins says the fun bit of rummaging through the collection for documenting purposes is yet to come. Gainsborough-related objects, such as teapots, jigsaws and old record covers that are unlikely to be displayed, are in storage. So, would she ever consider disposing of them?
'I've always tended to be the sort of curator who was anti-deaccessioning in principle. I've slightly changed my mind now I've seen what we've got,' she laughs. 'You hear so many horror stories about museums selling off things that are held in scant regard at the time and then 50 years later ideas change.'
Instead of disposal, Perkins has accumulation in mind. She believes the strength in the collection is the drawings and she is determined to bring the Gainsborough oils up to the same league. But it is not easy for a small operation such as Gainsborough's House to compete in the marketplace.
Five works have recently been added to the collection under the acceptance-in-lieu scheme. Gainsborough's House and the Tate jointly own a Gainsborough - the Portrait of Peter Darnell Muilman, Charles Crokatt and William Keable in a Landscape - a first for both organisations.
Perkins' long hours and evenings and weekend commitment to the job has got her through the initial steep learning curve. Now she hopes to start enjoying life with her husband, who is a teacher, and their two children.
Although Perkins is confident that Gainsborough's House will gradually improve on the current 15,000 annual visitor figure, she isn't complacent. 'I know in only a few months I am going to say it's about time this house was rehung. I don't want to stay still,' she says. 'My philosophy is that it's easy to change, but not so easy to improve'
Gainsborough's Dogs, the first temporary exhibition at the newly refurbished Gainsborough's House in Sudbury, Suffolk, has one proviso - no canine; no inclusion. Thankfully, there are enough of his works with dogs in them, and 26 of Gainsborough's paintings and drawings are included in the exhibition.
Diane Perkins, the director of the museum, chose the theme for a multitude of practical reasons. Firstly, economics. 'I liked the idea that most works were still in this country.' Luckily for Perkins, and by coincidence, most of the borrowed works came from East Anglia.
It is also a theme that had never been covered before, which meant there were possibilities for new research (why he painted his dogs mostly with men and not women, for example) and new
perspectives on Gainsborough. It also encompasses his entire range of landscapes, portraits, oils, drawings - where narrower subjects might not. And perhaps most importantly, it is a sure-fire way to bring in the local, countryside-residing, dog-loving public. 'It sprung up as an exhibition that was crying out to be done,' says Perkins.
Gainsborough's Dogs is important for Perkins' reputation in this small Sudbury community. It's a town where the population has a stake in Gainsborough. With his statue dominating the marketplace, everyone knows about the local hero and, as Perkins says, everyone feels connected to the house where he was born.
Perkins became the director of the museum as it was awarded a £500,000 Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant to stabilise the house, enhance the overall appearance of the interior and exterior, and redesign the garden. The results are stunning. By all accounts, the house was dilapidated before this grandiose spit and polish (new carpets, reinstallation of antique fireplaces and stripping back of paintwork to reveal early 16th-century features) that has returned it to one of those special architectural experiences.
Perkins feels she has already had an impact by unveiling the revamped house where Gainsborough was born in 1727. 'I've been lucky enough to have the opportunity to make my mark. A lot of people in museums, however talented or despite their great ideas, just aren't in a position to have their say.'
Perkins admits that there is still some way to go on the interpretation. A narrative on Gainsborough's life is distinctly missing and needs to be threaded through the house. Perkins sees this next stage as phase three of the redevelopment project. 'We've got the building and the collection; now, what are we going to do with it all? That's the crucial thing.'
Perkins spent 17 years as a curator at the Tate in London specialising in 18th-century art. When structural changes took place with the opening of Tate Modern in 2000, her role became more about research and cataloguing rather than exhibition and display. At Gainsborough's House, she is happy to be back working on the latter.
But she does miss the expertise that big institutions afford, although she has called upon her former colleagues to help with specifics in the remodelling of the displays. At Gainsborough's House, Perkins is the only one with curatorial experience, which can leave her feeling isolated, she admits.
She confesses that her plans for the interpretation are in keeping with Tate-style. Each room will have a theme relating to Gainsborough's life. And each picture will be accompanied by a caption as well as a more in-depth discursive text - offering visitors a choice on the level of engagement.
Having co-authored a Gainsborough catalogue at the Tate in 2002 Perkins was already steeped in his work. And she has spent lots of her spare time researching and compiling a catalogue to sit alongside the Gainsborough's Dogs exhibition.
When Perkins' predecessor, Hugh Belsey, resigned after 22 years in the role, it was feared that scholarship would be sent to the back of the class. And, with the rejuvenation of the building scheduled, it was assumed that a business brain would be preferred to an academic one.
Perkins says there was never any danger of this. She says that luckily the majority of the trustees know the importance of scholarship. 'They have direct knowledge of the period or other arts organisations. They are an informed group'. One of the most recent additions is Christopher Lloyd, the former surveyor of the Queen's Pictures at the Royal Collection. Perkins' appointment makes it seem likely that the business experience was not as important in the trustees' minds. 'As a curator within a big national organisation and then coming here, 50 per cent of what I'm doing is completely new to me,' she admits.
The business planning, fundraising, and project managing have been as unfamiliar to her as some of the hardcore curatorial tasks. 'I will never forget the time when the trustees found out that I had never actually hung a picture before. At the Tate there were teams of people to do this for you, so I could stand around scratching my chin.'Perkins reveals little about Belsey's departure - he resigned after a long-running disagreement with trustees. But she says that the 700-strong Friends of the museum, who were extremely loyal to Belsey, are as supportive of her.
Gainsborough's House has a staff of 11 and Perkins is one of only two who is employed full-time. Alongside a part-time fundraiser, Perkins must work her socks off to continue to raise money for temporary exhibitions. She says the huge amount of work that a temporary exhibition involves - the fundraising and the research - means that they can only mount big Gainsborough exhibitions every three or four years.
The museum receives an annual grant of £40,000 from Suffolk County Council, and two lesser grants from the local district and town councils. The HLF grant included money for an education post over five years to work more widely with schools, both in the museum and on outreach. An education officer is currently being sought. An on-site print workshop generated £34,000 through courses and artists' subscriptions last year. But most of that is ploughed back into the workshop.
Behind the business is an ethos of embracing the contemporary through offering artists the opportunity to display their work in the house. 'I think it is nice to not totally live in the 18th century,' says Perkins.
However, she wants the contemporary displays to be more integral to the Gainsborough theme. 'In the past, it's been a venue for anything goes. A lot of exhibitions have been devoted to craft and jewellery, for example. These are probably interesting, but I don't see them as relevant to the collection, so these will be somewhat curtailed.'
But how does Perkins expect to come up with varied temporary exhibitions in a museum dedicated to one man? 'I'm keen to have a tighter exhibition policy to make it more relevant to Gainsborough. But I am aware that it won't take long to run out of ideas.' So what are her next ideas for shows? 'Gainsborough's cats, Gainsborough's guinea pigs,' she jokes.
Perkins is definitely at home here. She is happiest in a hands-on role and this is the varied job she longed for while at the Tate. Perkins says the fun bit of rummaging through the collection for documenting purposes is yet to come. Gainsborough-related objects, such as teapots, jigsaws and old record covers that are unlikely to be displayed, are in storage. So, would she ever consider disposing of them?
'I've always tended to be the sort of curator who was anti-deaccessioning in principle. I've slightly changed my mind now I've seen what we've got,' she laughs. 'You hear so many horror stories about museums selling off things that are held in scant regard at the time and then 50 years later ideas change.'
Instead of disposal, Perkins has accumulation in mind. She believes the strength in the collection is the drawings and she is determined to bring the Gainsborough oils up to the same league. But it is not easy for a small operation such as Gainsborough's House to compete in the marketplace.
Five works have recently been added to the collection under the acceptance-in-lieu scheme. Gainsborough's House and the Tate jointly own a Gainsborough - the Portrait of Peter Darnell Muilman, Charles Crokatt and William Keable in a Landscape - a first for both organisations.
Perkins' long hours and evenings and weekend commitment to the job has got her through the initial steep learning curve. Now she hopes to start enjoying life with her husband, who is a teacher, and their two children.
Although Perkins is confident that Gainsborough's House will gradually improve on the current 15,000 annual visitor figure, she isn't complacent. 'I know in only a few months I am going to say it's about time this house was rehung. I don't want to stay still,' she says. 'My philosophy is that it's easy to change, but not so easy to improve'
