Why did King George III prefer Thomas Gainsborough to Sir Joshua Reynolds?

King George III preferred Thomas Gainsborough over the official court painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, primarily due to Gainsborough’s personal informality and his Tory political leanings.1

While Reynolds was a highly influential figure who served as the first president of the Royal Academy, his work often failed to find favor at court, and his state portraits of the King and Queen were not considered successful. In contrast, Gainsborough’s artistic style—characterized by delicate brushwork and a focus on the poetry of paint—offered a distinct alternative to the formal, academic "Grand Style" championed by Reynolds. Gainsborough’s ability to capture subjects with a lighter touch and his independent, inventive nature made him a preferred choice for the royal family, leading to his commission to paint the King and Queen in 1781.2341