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Lot description
Richard Crosse, British 1742-1810 An Officer of a Regiment of the Foot Guards, shoulder-length, wearing a scarlet coat with blue facings and gold lace, his hair powdered; watercolour on ivory, oval, within a later gold and diamond brooch setting, 4 x 3.1 cm. Ivory reference number: NJJV6KQL. Note: Deaf and mute from birth, Richard Crosse initially took up miniature painting as a hobby. However, after his talent was recognised during a contest at the Society of Artists, Crosse moved from his native Devon to London, where he would spend a long and prolific career. Crosse is known to have exhibited across London from as early as 1760, including at the Society of Artists and the Free Society of Artists. He also frequently showed his works at the Royal Academy, where he is recorded as an exhibitor from 1770 to 1796. During this time he lived in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden – an area that had long been a popular destination for painters of miniatures, including Samuel Cooper (1609-1672) and Richard Gibson (1615-1690). Although Crosse could not provide his patrons with gossip and witty conversation during sittings, which would have been an important and expected part of the process of having one's portrait painted, this did not seem to hinder his career. Crosse's appointment as 'painter in enamel' to King George III in 1788 attests to his renown and his popularity with the aristocracy. The Royal appointment also shows Crosse's evolution as an artist, as he had transitioned to the challenging medium of enamel. He continued to push boundaries in watercolour miniature painting too, often working on uncharacteristically large supports. Army officers were frequent subjects for the artist, and an example similar to the portrait presented here was sold at Bonhams, 25 May 2011, lot 9 (£3,600). Another example is held at Kenwood House, Hampstead [no. 88421332].