Art Smart: Gainsborough's The Blue Boy

One of the world's most famous paintings may have been created simply to win an argument. Back in the 18th century, two artists were major rivals. One of them was Thomas Gainsborough. The other was Sir Joshua Reynolds. Sir Joshua insisted that the main colors in a portrait needed to be warm colors, like red, yellow, or yellowish-white. He went on to claim that green, gray, and especially blue could only be minor colors. Well, Gainsborough grabbed his easel, palette, and brushes and set out to prove Sir Joshua was a bit benighted. The result was this painting. Called The Blue Boy, it's considered one of the world's greatest paintings. Bet you that must have turned Sir Joshua's face red. With ArtSmart, I'm William.