Hope at the Feet of Britannia
Framed: 18 × 14 1/4 × 1 1/2 inches (45.72 × 36.2 × 3.81 cm)
Two Extraordinary Women: The Lives and Art of Maria Cosway and Mary Darby Robinson, Fralin Museum of Art, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, January 29-May1, 2016.
The Schuyler Sisters and Their Circle, The Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, NY, July 20-December 29, 2019.
Possibly in the collection of the artist, the Baroness Maria Cosway (1760-1838), Lodi, Italy [1];
Possibly in the collection of Commander Gerald Barnett (1925/1926-2011), Exeter, United Kingdom [2];
Purchased at sale, Fine Portrait Miniatures, Bonham's, London, November 17, 2004, lot 75, as by Richard Cosway, by Elle Shushan, Philadelphia, PA, 2004-2025 [3];
Her gift to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 2025.
NOTES:
[1] Dr. Stephen Lloyd, recently retired Curator of the Derby Collection at Knowsley Hall and specialist in British portraiture, shared the following: "[Barnett] acquired a collection of drawings and prints by both of the Cosways, which were said to have formerly belonged to Maria Cosway. However, Barnett never provided any documentation as to how he acquired these drawings and prints. Unfortunately, the Fondazione Cosway's collection of drawings was neither scientifically catalogued not photographed until my research visits there from 1989-92." For more, see his correspondence with Aimee Marcereau DeGalan in NAMA Curatorial File.
[2] Gerald Barnett, who died in 2011 at the age of 85, was a retired naval officer with a particular interest in works of art by Richard and Maria Cosway. This led to him authoring Richard and Maria Cosway: A Biography published in 1995. This work is neither discussed nor illustrated in his book. According to Dr. Stephen Lloyd, "most of Barnett's drawings by the Cosways were sold occasionally from c.2000-2010 through the various London auction rooms." For more, see his correspondence with Aimee Marcereau DeGalan in NAMA Curatorial File.
[3] Bonham's auction catalog entry attributed the work to Richard Cosway R.A. (British, 1742-1821). Provenance is cited as having been in the collection of Maria Cosway and Commander Gerald Barnett. A scanned copy of the relevant page can be found in the NAMA Curatorial File.
