Francis Cotes

Francis Cotes was one of the finest English portrait painters of the mid eighteenth century, and a pioneer of pastel. His portraits are fresh and bright, with clear colour, soft powdery textures and an easy, natural charm, especially in his pictures of women and children.

He was born in London in 1726 and trained with the portrait painter George Knapton. Inspired by the Venetian pastellist Rosalba Carriera, he worked mostly in pastel early on and even studied chemistry to make better crayons. Later he moved increasingly to oils. He was a director of the Society of Artists and a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768. His Young Cricketer of 1768 is among his best known portraits.

In his portraits of ladies, like Portrait of a Lady with a Statuette of Cupid, look at the light pinks and blues and the delicate handling of satin. He died in Richmond in 1770.