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Gainsborough's House is a typical example of Suffolk vernacular architecture, constructed from a timber frame with wattle and daub in-fill. The building was originally two cottages which were joined together in about 1520. A brick facade was added in the 1720s by the artist's father. In the 1790s additions were made to the back of the house to make it a more elegant residence. In the 1890s the property was purchased by a builder and parts of it were sold off. The warehouse, used for storing cloth, now Brasserie 47, was sold and part of the extensive garden was developed as a silk factory. Gainsborough's House, the only birthplace of the great British artist open to the public in Britain, opened as a museum in 1961. It shows a large collection of his paintings, drawings and prints as well as temporary exhibitions. At the back of the museum is a walled garden which includes a four hundred year-old mulberry tree. It is used for exhibitions of sculpture during the summer months. At the bottom of the garden is a coach house built in 1928 which has been converted for use as a print workshop. Two derelict cottages adjoining the east side of the garden belong to the Society and it is hoped to refurbish them for museum and educational use when funds become available. Gainsborough's House Society (registered charity number 214046) runs the museum and gratefully acknowledges financial support from Suffolk County Council, East England Arts, Babergh District Council and Sudbury Town Council.
Tags:  Gainsborough's House Gainsborough Sudbury Art Artists Painters Sculpture Printmaking Suffolk England Paintings Drawings Prints Holidays Local History Exhibitions UK British