Francis Cotes
(1726 - 1770) |
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Portraiture, Miniatures Art Work
| Name: |
Francis Cotes |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
London, England |
| Nationality: |
English |
| Birth: |
1726 |
| Death: |
1770 |
| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
Portraiture, Miniatures |
| Medium: |
Pastel, oil |
| Method: |
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| Style: |
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| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Painter
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Biography
| Portrait painter in oils and crayons. Born London May 20th 1726. The artist died there July 19th 1770. Elder brother of the miniaturist Samuel Cotes (1734-1818). His father was a pharmacist, whose expertise Cotes may have found useful in preparing his own crayon colors. Apprenticed to George Knapton in the early 1740s, from whom he may also have learned oil painting, but his practice at first was only in crayons. His first pastels date from 1747 and have a novel brilliance of color and sharpness of outline. A single oil of 1753 is known but his practice in oils only began seriously in 1757. His earlier rococo style was modified by the example of Liotard who was in London 1753-1756, in the direction of realistic portraiture, and he played some part in establishing the portrait style of the new age, but he was concerned only with fashion and handsome likeness and not with character. He learned something from the patterns of Ramsay and Reynolds, but prettified and vulgarized their inventions. His sitters usually have milk and roses complexions and their clothes are always bright and new and fashionable. In his oil portraits after 1764 the draperies are often by Peter Toms, who also worked for Reynolds. His crayons must be wholly autograph, and he rates as the most accomplished British pastellist of the century, he wrote a short note on his technique which was published in the European Magazine, 1797. He was the teacher of John Russell From 1765, when he took a large house at 32 Cavendish Square later Romney's, he was the most fashionable portrait painter after Reynolds and Gainsborough and only his death prevented his becoming a serious rival to Reynolds. |
Samples of Work
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