SuffolkNews goes behind-the-scenes at Gainsborough's House in Sudbury to discover the journey of its £10 million transformation
There have been ups and downs. Heart stopping moments, crushing blows, amazing boosts, and bursts of joy.
Transforming artist Thomas Gainsborough’s Suffolk birthplace into an international art centre is a £10 million project brought to life by imagination, hard work, generosity and ambition.
But at times it has been an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved.
Now it is a couple of months away from opening its doors. And this weekend everyone is invited for a free visit while the interior is still a blank canvas awaiting the artworks and artefacts.
“It’s a challenging time now because there is so much to do, but we will get there,” said Mark Bills, director of Gainsborough’s House, in Sudbury, which has been a museum and gallery for more than 60 years.
The House closed for the work to begin in October 2019 and despite delays caused by Covid and other pitfalls is due to open again in November, only nine months later than planned.
Refurbishing the 17th century house where the artist, whose portraits include some of the world’s most famous paintings, was born in 1727 has been a crucial part of the project.
But now visitors will walk through time from the exposed beams and period features of the Grade I listed building to the clean-cut 21st century lines of the galleries and function rooms of the new extension.
The house where the boy who grew to be one of Britain’s greatest portrait painters lived and played – and no doubt proudly showed off his first attempts at art to parents John and Mary – will return to a more homely feel.
Attempting to show large Gainsborough works in the house was always tricky but these will now have a perfect home in the new building.
The house has all been upgraded and renovated. “We will still show lots of pictures in a domestic setting,” said Mark.
Gainsborough will be celebrated in several of the rooms. One will be dedicated to his love of music and will include a rare double manual harpsichord, one of only two in existence.
Another room set up as an artist’s studio will give a fascinating insight into how he might have worked.
Other artists also feature. The Constable room will show memorabilia and pictures focusing on the family of master landscape artist John Constable, who was born in East Bergholt.
Cedric Morris, who lived and worked for many years in Hadleigh, also has a room of his own.
“We have 150 Cedric Morris works – the largest collection in the world,” said Mark. They were given by the trustees of his estate – artist and key Gainsborough’s House supporter Maggi Hambling, and Robert Davey.
The story of Sudbury’s silk industry which began in the 19th century and continues to this day will be told in another room which will showcase its heritage.
The need to improve the museum and gallery was acknowledged almost a decade ago when the venue hit a low point.
“Gainsborough’s House was in a fairly bad state in all sorts of ways,” said Mark, who took up his role in 2013. “There had been a lot of turmoil when the previous director was made redundant. It was in quite a vulnerable position.
“That’s where this came from. How do we make it survive for another 100 years, and save this great national asset?
“People will not give money thinking it’s going into a money pit. They need to invest in something they think is going to work and be good.”
Then began the enormous challenge of putting together the plans and raising the money to make them happen.
Inflation and other price increases pushed up the cost from the initial estimate of £8.5 million.
Almost £5 million came from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Grants from Babergh, Sudbury Town, and Suffolk County Councils and private donations helped towards the total.
Architects ZMMA were appointed to design the new extension, which is built on the site of Sudbury’s old labour exchange.
With building work now complete, architect Angus Goodwin has been busy ‘snagging’ – spotting anything that still needs attention.
“You always get little bits that aren’t quite right,” said Mark. “But we have the keys back and it’s now in our control. It’s just finishing off.”
A new entrance in Weavers Lane will give wheelchair access to the whole site. There are lifts to all floors, plus toilets accessible to people with disabilities.
The new building’s sharp dramatic outline is softened by warm red bricks – 40,000 of them, each individually hand made – laid in an intricate pattern.
They have travelled just a few miles from the Bulmer Brick and Tile Company. Mark points out you can still see paw prints where a cat has walked over some of the bricks while they were drying outside.
The flints on the lower part of the walls were sourced from a Suffolk company, Needham Chalk.
Inside, the walls of the new Gainsborough Gallery are covered in sumptuous, deep green silk damask given by Sudbury firm Humphries Weaving, which will make a stunning backdrop to the paintings.
Forty six Gainsboroughs will be on display, including all 32 from the House’s own collection. The gallery’s height means full length portraits can be shown to their full advantage.
The most familiar image of the artist himself, a self-portrait from 1759, has been loaned by the National Portrait Gallery.
After the House closed it lent pictures in an exchange agreement to the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. They were returned just before Covid.
Seeing the paintings on the Pushkin’s elegant walls gave a foretaste of how they might appear in the new gallery, Mark said.
In the new main exhibition space, which will house changing displays of works by significant artists, the north light so prized by painters streams in through skylights.
One of the first exhibitions there was due to be paintings from the Pushkin, but the swap fell through after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and caused a rapid rethink of the programme.
Pictures by Flemish artists from 1880 to 1930 will make up the opening show.
A smaller gallery will house shows including some by local artists, and the Gainsborough’s House Print Workshop, which remains on the site.
On the top floor, a multi-purpose events room has a huge four by three metre window with a breathtaking view across the town’s rooftops.
Uses could include lectures, music, dinners, and possibly even weddings. Sliding walls conceal features like sinks which would make it usable for schools during the day.
The Gainsborough’s House shop – currently open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays – and the café, which both sit between the original house and the new building, will be doubled in size.
Mark said the project had three main aims. “The first was to better deliver our mission, education, exhibitions and visitor experience.
“Two was being sustainable. Financially we were in very ropey condition. People had a bad visitor experience and we were losing money.
“We wanted somewhere we could charge a reasonable amount and get people through the doors. We also wanted to raise an endowment and become a much more financially resistant organisation.
“Three was to be a catalyst for Sudbury, contribute and help the vision for the town. A lot of prosperity in the future will be to do with cultural tourism, and for that you need places to visit.”
Building work began in January 2020. Then Covid hit. “There were dark moments in Covid,” he admitted. Building work was held up, and the shop, which would have provided some income, had to close.
There were also expensive setbacks. They had to pay for an archaeological dig and report on the labour exchange site, where an Anglo Saxon bone needle was unearthed.
The total cost of financing the dig, and the delay in building, was around £250,000.
Asbestos found in the ground also had to be dealt with.
Acquiring the labour exchange was crucial to the whole project. “We had an option to buy it, but then the owner was going to sell and we were left with just three weeks to find the money,” said Mark.
“I actually thought that’s the end of Gainsborough’s House. I was having sleepless nights over it. That really was a heart in the mouth moment. We would just have had to remain a small gallery.
“The heroes were Babergh District Council. They were wonderful. They bought it and charged us rent for a couple of years then they gave it to us.
“Sudbury Town Council was also very helpful. They gave us £25,000 for the capital project and an initial grant.”
The donation of a substantial six-figure sum from wealthy art lovers and collectors Timothy and Mary Clode was a key breakthrough.
“They collect and love Gainsborough. The exhibition gallery will be named after them.
“We knew if people believed in what we were doing enough to give us that amount of money, then other people would give too.
“Now I can’t wait to open. Not having visitors around for three years was such a big psychological change.
“It has been a long haul - I’m very excited but weary too. We will all feel rejuvenated when it opens.
“That will be such a joyous moment. We’re looking forward to an enormous party.”
The Friends of Gainsborough’s House provide regular support with yearly rates starting at £45, and enjoy benefits like unlimited free entry, invitations to events, and exclusive trips. For details email arabella@gainsborough.org
There is free admittance to the refurbished house and new building from today (September 15) to Sunday, September 18 between 10am to 5pm.
