Francis Cotes

Francis Cotes RA (May 20, 1726 - Jul 16, 1770) was an English painter, one of the pioneers of English pastel painting, and a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768

He was born in London, the eldest son of Robert Cotes, an apothecary (Francis's younger brother Samuel Cotes (1734–1818) also became an artist, specialising in miniatures) Cotes trained with portrait painter George Knapton (1698–1778) before setting up his own business in his father's business premises in London's Cork Street—learning, incidentally, much about chemistry to inform his making of pastels

Cotes was a student of the painter George Knapton But it was not until more than forty years ago that Cotes was able to make his debut at an exhibition of the Society of Artists In the years 1760 to 1761 he produced the oil paintings The nut-brown maid and Half-length of Mr Paul, with which he also received recognition in the Society

An admirer of the pastel drawings of Rosalba Carriera, Cotes concentrated on works in pastel and crayon (some of which became well known as engravings) After pushing crayon to its limit as a medium—although he was never to abandon it entirely—Cotes turned to oil painting as a means of developing his style in larger-scale works In his most successful paintings, particularly those of the early 1760s, the oil paint is thinly applied, in imitation of his pastel technique, and imbued with charm, inviting comparisons with Allan Ramsay (1713–1784) and Sir Joshua Reynolds They have clarity and warmth and possess a remarkable attention to costume In 1763, he bought a large house (later occupied by George Romney) in Cavendish Square He also painted The Young Cricketer

After 1746 the costumes in his pictures were mostly executed by the specialist drapery painter Peter Toms

He admired the drawings to the cake of Rosalba Carriera, and concentrated on this type of works using pastel painting and chalk, some of his works were known as engravings Later he added oil painting to his repertoire In 1763, he bought a large house (later occupied by George Romney) in Cavendish Square

One of the most fashionable portrait painters of his day, Cotes helped found the Society of Artists of Great Britain and became its director in 1765 At the peak of his powers, Cotes was invited to become one of the first members of the Royal Academy, but died just two years later, aged 44, in Richmond

During the summer months, Cotes worked in Bath in some years There he often also worked as an enamel enamel painter

He also taught pastel skills to John Russell, who described Cotes' techniques in his book The Elements of Painting with Crayon

After the death of his first wife, he married Sarah Shepherd in second marriage She is also a painter At the age of about 45 years, Francis Cotes died in London on 20 July 1770
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