Charles Rousseau Burney (1747–1819)

Thomas Gainsborough created an oil portrait of Charles Rousseau Burney in 1780, as recorded in contemporary documentation. The work, executed in oil on canvas, was later acquired by Mary Emma Stillman Harkness, whose collection formed the basis of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s holdings. The painting remains in the museum’s collection, displayed as a portrait within its European works wing.

Its creation is dated to the year 1780, aligning with the sitter’s known presence in London society and Gainsborough’s active period. The provenance traces from the artist’s studio to Harkness’s ownership and finally to museum accession.

The portrait of Charles Rousseau Burney, painted by Thomas Gainsborough in 1780, is housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is catalogued as part of the museum's holdings, though a specific accession or inventory number is not provided in the available documentation. It entered the museum through the bequest of Mary Emma Stillman Harkness.

The sources consulted do not record any exhibition history for this painting, indicating that it has not been featured in publicly listed exhibitions according to the presently accessible records.

This oil painting, created by Thomas Gainsborough in 1790, portrays Charles Rousseau Burney. Gainsborough, a prominent English artist of the 18th century, was celebrated for both his portraiture and landscape works. This particular piece exemplifies his skill in capturing individual likenesses and is currently held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It represents a key example of British portraiture from the late Rococo period.