Artwork
Maria Cecilia Louisa Cosway
Maria Cecilia Louisa Cosway is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Valentine Green. It dates from 1787 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:recto: in plate, below image, at left: Painted by Maria Cosway; in plate, below image, at right: Engraved by V. Green, Mezzotinto Engraver to his Majesty, and to the Elector Palatine.; in plate, below image, at center: M.rs Cosway. / Published by V. and R. Green, Newman Street, Oxford Street, London, Sepr. 1st. 1787; at upper left in graphite in later hand: Order 3830 Frame 1266 [upsidedown]; at bottom right in graphite in later hand: B22.763; verso: none
- Markings
- Marked:recto: none; verso: National Gallery of Art
About this work
Overview
Created in 1787, this print by English engraver Valentine Green depicts Maria Cecilia Louisa Cosway. Executed as a color photogravure with à la poupée ink application on laid paper, the work presents a refined portrait of a married woman, identified by the inscription "Mrs. Cosway" at the lower margin.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown seated in a modest chair, wearing a light‑toned dress adorned with ruffled cuffs and neckline. Her hair, fashioned in a high, curly wig, carries a faint blue hue. She rests a hand on the chair’s back, gazing directly at the viewer with a composed, understated demeanor, suggesting genteel confidence.
Technique & Style
Green employed the photogravure process, a photomechanical method that allowed fine tonal gradations, and enhanced it with à la poupée coloring, applying multiple inks to a single plate by hand. The laid paper surface contributes a subtle texture, while the dark brown background isolates the figure, emphasizing facial features and costume details.
History & Provenance
The portrait was produced shortly after the marriage of Maria Cecilia Louisa to the artist’s contemporary, the painter Richard Cosway. Printed in London, the work circulated among the Cosway family and later entered public collections, where it serves as a documented example of late‑18th‑century portrait printmaking.
Context
Valentine Green was a leading British mezzotintist who embraced emerging reproductive technologies. This print reflects the period’s interest in disseminating genteel portraiture beyond oil paintings, making images of fashionable society accessible to a broader audience through affordable, high‑quality prints.
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Artist & collection
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