John Sell Cotman OWS
1782 - 1842
John Sell Cotman was one of the great figures of British art, an artist who could find the essential form of nature and architecture in oils, watercolours, graphite and etchings, and the leading figure of the Norwich School, England's only internationally known regional school of artists. Born in Norwich, he moved to London in 1798, aged 16, and became a member of Dr Monro's circle. As far as is known, he had no formal tuition in art, but by 1800 he was already accomplished enough to have six of his watercolours accepted for the annual Royal Academy exhibition. Between 1800 and 1805, he made several sketching tours to Wales and Yorkshire, and these resulted in some of his finest works. They did not bring him much success, however, and in 1806 he returned to his native city. As well as depicting Norfolk scenery, Cotman made several trips to France, which bore fruit in Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (1822), one of various books he illustrated with his etchings. However, financially compromised, for a time, he had to live with and be employed as a family tutor by his patron, the banker and amateur, Dawson Turner, at his home in Great Yarmouth. Returning to the city in 1824, the family lived in a Georgian House, now known as Cotman House, on St Mary-at-Palace Plain, next to the Cathedral Close walls, staying there for 10 years, trying to establish a teaching practice in a prestigious setting. However, this did not work out, and
John Sell Cotman was one of the great figures of British art, an artist who could find the essential form of nature and architecture in oils, watercolours, graphite and etchings, and the leading figure of the Norwich School, England's only internationally known regional school of artists. Born in Norwich, he moved to London in 1798, aged 16, and became a member of Dr Monro's circle. As far as is known, he had no formal tuition in art, but by 1800 he was already accomplished enough to have six of his watercolours accepted for the annual Royal Academy exhibition. Between 1800 and 1805, he made several sketching tours to Wales and Yorkshire, and these resulted in some of his finest works. They did not bring him much success, however, and in 1806 he returned to his native city. As well as depicting Norfolk scenery, Cotman made several trips to France, which bore fruit in Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (1822), one of various books he illustrated with his etchings. However, financially compromised, for a time, he had to live with and be employed as a family tutor by his patron, the banker and amateur, Dawson Turner, at his home in Great Yarmouth. Returning to the city in 1824, the family lived in a Georgian House, now known as Cotman House, on St Mary-at-Palace Plain, next to the Cathedral Close walls, staying there for 10 years, trying to establish a teaching practice in a prestigious setting. However, this did not work out, and
after ten years, with a reference from J. M. W. Turner, Cotman took up a teaching post at King's College, London, where he remained for the rest of his life. As well as depicting Norfolk scenery, Cotman made several trips to France, which bore fruit in Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (1822), one of various books he illustrated with his etchings.
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