1812
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Mercury and a goddess is a 1812 by Richard Cosway, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This sketch shows a single figure standing with one leg bent, arms raised slightly as if holding something invisible. The lines are loose and quick, with no clear background—just a pale, empty space. The figure’s body is drawn in a simple, flowing style, with no extra details like clothing or landscape. The artist signed it in the corner: *Richard Cosway, 1742–1821*. The drawing feels more like a quick study than a finished work, with light shading that suggests movement. Look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with layers of lines.
A pencil drawing by Richard Cosway from 1812 shows dancing figures, with the artist's name inscribed in ink on the mount and in pencil as well.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Richard Cosway (5 November 1742 – 4 July 1821) was a leading English portrait painter of the Georgian and Regency era, noted for his miniatures.
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