Francis CotesBritish, 1726–1770Unknown young woman
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Unknown young woman” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, British Galleries, Room 52, The George Levy Gallery, London. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
RoomBritish Galleries, Room 52, The George Levy Gallery
Closed· opens tomorrow at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
Object Type
This portrait by Francis Cotes is a good example of a pastel from the 18th century, when pastel painting was at its most fashionable. 'Pastel' is a coloured crayon made out of pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder such as gum.
Pastels can be blended on paper to achieve a soft, dusty finish. Because this tonal technique is more like painting than drawing it is known as 'pastel painting'.
Time
This portrait dates from around 1755-1764. These dates are based partly on the fact that Cotes did not begin to produce works of this quality until 1755, and partly on costume style and hair style.
Materials and Making
Read on
Pastel offered a number of advantages over oil. It was a quick medium to work in since no drying time was necessary, so the sitter spent less time at the artist's studio. Pastels were also cheaper than oils because they tended to be smaller in size, required fewer pigments and less time on the artist's part. Unlike oils, pastels also had to be protected with glass, an expensive commodity at this date, which gave them added lustre and glamour.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- P.59-1962
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
