Richard Cosway, Portrait of a Woman, 1777

Chicago:

Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, “Richard Cosway, Portrait of a Woman, 1777,” catalogue entry in Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, Blythe Sobol, and Maggie Keenan, The Starr Collection of Portrait Miniatures, 1500–1850: The Collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, vol. 2, ed. Aimee Marcereau DeGalan (Kansas City, MO: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2024), https://doi.org/10.37764/8322.5.1320.

MLA:

Marcereau DeGalan, Aimee. “Richard Cosway, Portrait of a Woman, 1777,” catalogue entry. Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, Blythe Sobol, and Maggie Keenan. The Starr Collection of Portrait Miniatures, 1500–1850: The Collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, edited by Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, vol. 2, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2024. doi: 10.37764/8322.5.1320.

See the artist’s biography in volume 4.

Signed and dated 1777, this relatively early work by Richard Cosway provides rare insight into his artistic practice and evolving style. Notably, the portrait displays a departure from Cosway’s typical meticulous detail and vibrant colors, instead adopting a grayscale or grisaille technique reminiscent of a drawing on ivory.¹ Although the present portrait may be slightly faded, adding to its reductive palette, Cosway’s unique approach distinguishes the portrait as a fusion between a drawing, as exemplified by Cosway’s portrait of the Countess of Cavan, and an unfinished work, such as his portrayal of John “Mad Jack” Fuller, both also in the Starr collection. Despite the present portrait’s sketchy outlines and large areas of bare ivory, indicative of a work in progress, the presence of Cosway’s signature suggests a degree of completion.²

The decision to execute the portrait in this drawing-watercolor style prompts speculation about the patron’s intentions and the circumstances surrounding its creation. Did the patron request this unique format, and if so, why? Did they pay a reduced rate for this more modest level of finish?³

Despite the uncertainties surrounding the miniature’s creation, the attribution to Cosway’s hand is unequivocal.⁴ Even in this rare hybrid form, the portrait exudes a sense of immediacy and intimacy, with the sitter’s slightly downcast expression and fawn-colored eyes rendered in Cosway’s spontaneous brushwork. Her towering hairstyle, the epitome of fashion in late 1770s England, adds to the allure of the portrait, hinting at the lively and dynamic nature of the sitter’s persona. Intriguingly, the possibility that the portrait remained unfinished due to unforeseen circumstances—perhaps the sitter’s untimely demise—adds a layer of poignancy to its narrative.

Notes

1. Stephen Lloyd shared this observation during his October 2023 visit. Notes in NAMA curatorial files.

2. Cosway only signed his works once they were completed and paid for. He received half payment up front and signed the work upon completion. For an example of a work that was probably unfinished and not paid for, see Richard Cosway, Portrait of John “Mad Jack” Fuller, also in the Starr collection.

3. Cosway’s drawings were much the same price as his miniatures. Stephen Lloyd shared this observation during his October 2023 visit. Notes in NAMA curatorial files.

4. As per Stephen Lloyd, October 2023. Notes in NAMA curatorial files.

Mr. John W. (1905–2000) and Mrs. Martha Jane (1906–2011) Starr, Kansas City, MO, by 1958;

Their gift to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1958.

The Starr Foundation Collection of Miniatures, The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, December 8, 1972–January 14, 1973, no cat., no. 61, as Unknown Lady.

Ross E. Taggart, The Starr Collection of Miniatures in the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery (Kansas City, MO: Nelson Gallery-Atkins Museum, 1971), no. 61, p. 24, (repro.), as Unknown Lady.