Maria Cosway with Her Daughter Louisa

c. 1794

Richard Cosway

Associated Names
Richard Cosway

Artist, British, 1740/1742 - 1821

The image shows a woman in profile, standing with her left arm on a railing. She has delicate facial features, soft lines, and curly hair under a wide-brimmed hat with ribbons or feathers. She wears a long gown with puffy sleeves and a fitted waist, along with a necklace featuring a circular pendant. The background displays faint, unfinished sketches and intricate line work around the woman, possibly hinting at a setting or other figures. The artwork conveys grace and poise in pencil and watercolor.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    graphite, red and black chalk, and gray and red wash on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Joan and David Maxwell Fund

  • Dimensions

    overall: 27 x 11.1 cm (10 5/8 x 4 3/8 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2005.56.1

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Maria Cosway (1759 - 1838). Commander Gerald Barnett; (Trinity Fine Art Ltd., London); David Maxwell; gift to NGA, 2005.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2008

  • Medieval to Modern: Recent Acquisitions of Drawings, Prints, and Illustrated Books, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 2008, no. 69.

Bibliography

1995

  • Barnett, Gerald. Richard and Maria Cosway, a Biography. Tiverton, Devon, 1995: pl. 36.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: 36

Watermarks

fragment of crown

Wikidata ID

Q64620474

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