Thomas Cooper Gotch

Thomas Cooper Gotch painted young girls and women in rich, jewel coloured costumes, set in symmetrical, almost icon like compositions with gold and patterned backgrounds. His later work has a strong Pre-Raphaelite and Symbolist feel.

He was born in Kettering in 1854 and studied in London, Antwerp and Paris. He settled in Newlyn in Cornwall and first painted outdoor scenes with the Newlyn School. After a trip to Italy in 1891 his style changed toward allegory and bright decorative colour. Alleluia (1896), a row of singing girls, was bought for the nation and is in Tate. He died in 1931. Penlee House in Penzance also holds his work.

A Golden Dream and Dawn of Womanhood show his dreamy, richly coloured later manner.