Richard Cosway (1742-1821) - Miniature - "Portrait of a young woman"

Richard cosway (1742-1821) miniature "portrait of a young woman" brass frame and wooden frame signed lower right diameter: 6cm dimensions with frame: 12x12cm very good general condition, cardboard on the back to be reattached *r. Cosway (1740-1821), painter of miniatures and watercolours, london. Drawings and prints. Richard cosway was born in tiverton in devonshire, and studied in london under thomas hudson. He gave drawing lessons and supplemented his income by trading in old paintings, furniture and art objects (see the catalogue published by himself in 1791, and intended for potential buyers of the paintings of old masters exhibited in the salons of his apartment in pall mall). Elected a member of the royal academy in 1771, acquired an immense reputation as a miniature portrait painter, and lived in various luxurious hotels in orchard street, berkeley street, pall mall, stratford place (in 1791, see smith, nollekens ii, p. 401) and oxford street, where he kept, with his large collection of drawings and prints, many pictures, porcelain, arms and furniture. Married in 1781 maria hadfield, a great beauty and herself a talented miniaturist. He was "principal painter to his royal highness the prince of wales"; his elaborate toilette earned him the epithet "macaroni painter". During his lifetime r. Cosway had some of the paintings in his collection sold (in london, at christie's, 2-3 march 1792, highest bid £94 10s., the others about £4 or £3). Several public sales followed his death. The first, held at his home by stanley on 17-19 may 1821, included paintings by the old masters; the second on 22-24 may (same direction), various objects of art: arms, furniture, porcelain, clocks by quayre and williamson, bronzes, etc. Dr. Williamson, in his work richard cosway (1905 p. 61) relates that thomas emerson, a great lover of pictures, bought a lot at the cosway sale.