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Francis Cotes (20 May 1726 – 16 July 1770) was an English painter, one of the pioneers of English pastel painting, and a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768.
He was born in 
After 1746 the costumes in his pictures were mostly executed by the specialist drapery painter
Francis Cotes
' (Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, online edition)
(Artcyclopedia) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotes, Francis 1726 births 1770 deaths Painters from London 18th-century English painters 18th-century English male artists English male painters English portrait painters Royal Academicians
Francis Cotes (20 May 1726 – 16 July 1770) was an English painter, one of the pioneers of English pastel painting, and a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768.
Life and work
He was born in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, the eldest son of Robert Cotes, an apothecary
''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Amer ...
(Francis's younger brother Samuel Cotes
Samuel Cotes (1734–1818) was a younger brother of Francis Cotes, R.A. He was a successful painter of miniature portraits and also worked in crayons. He died in Chelsea in 1818.
Life
He was third son of Robert Cotes, mayor of Galway, who settl ...
(1734–1818) also became an artist, specialising in miniatures). Cotes trained with portrait painter George Knapton (1698–1778) before setting up his own business in his father's business premises in London's Cork Street—learning, incidentally, much about chemistry to inform his making of pastels.
An admirer of the pastel drawings of Rosalba Carriera, Cotes concentrated on works in pastel and crayon (some of which became well known as engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an i ...
s). After pushing crayon to its limit as a medium—although he was never to abandon it entirely—Cotes turned to oil painting as a means of developing his style in larger-scale works. In his most successful paintings, particularly those of the early 1760s, the oil paint is thinly applied, in imitation of his pastel technique, and imbued with charm, inviting comparisons with Allan Ramsay Allan Ramsay may refer to:
*Allan Ramsay (poet) or Allan Ramsay the Elder (1686–1758), Scottish poet
*Allan Ramsay (artist) or Allan Ramsay the Younger (1713–1784), Scottish portrait painter
*Allan Ramsay (diplomat) (1937–2022), British diplom ...
(1713–1784) and Sir Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was an English painter, specialising in portraits. John Russell said he was one of the major European painters of the 18th century. He promoted the "Grand Style" in painting which depende ...
. They have clarity and warmth and possess a remarkable attention to costume. In 1763, he bought a large house (later occupied by George Romney) in Cavendish Square. He also painted ''The Young Cricketer''.
After 1746 the costumes in his pictures were mostly executed by the specialist drapery painter Peter Toms Peter Toms may refer to:
*Peter Toms (painter)
*Peter Toms (politician)
Peter Macquarie Toms (30 August 1933 – 1 November 2017) was an Australian politician who represented the Electoral district of Maitland between 21 February 1981 and ...
.
One of the most fashionable portrait painters of his day, Cotes helped found the Society of Artists of Great Britain and became its director in 1765. At the peak of his powers, Cotes was invited to become one of the first members of the Royal Academy, but died just two years later, aged 44, in Richmond.
He also taught pastel skills to John Russell John Russell may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* John Russell (English painter) (1745–1806), English painter
* John Russell (Australian painter) (1858–1930), Australian painter
* John Russell (screenwriter) (1885–1956), author and scree ...
, who described Cotes' techniques in his book ''The Elements of Painting with Crayon''.
References
*Neil Jeffares.Francis Cotes
' (Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, online edition)
External links
*(Artcyclopedia) {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotes, Francis 1726 births 1770 deaths Painters from London 18th-century English painters 18th-century English male artists English male painters English portrait painters Royal Academicians