Unknown young woman, Francis Cotes, mid 18th century
Francis Cotes, portraitFrancis CotesRoyaume-Uni, 1726–1770

Unknown young woman

mid 18th century · Pastel · 59.7 × 44.1 cm

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Où est « Unknown young woman » aujourd’hui ? Victoria and Albert Museum, British Galleries, Room 52, The George Levy Gallery, Londres. Oui, exposée actuellement. Vérifié 25 septembre 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Londres, Royaume-Uni

SalleBritish Galleries, Room 52, The George Levy Gallery

Fermé· ouvre à 10:00

Présentée au public.

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À propos de l’œuvre

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

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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

Notice

Numéro d’inventaire
P.59-1962

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Sources

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Dans la même salle · British Galleries, Room 52, The George Levy Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum

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Sur le même thème · Femme

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