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  • Most Popular Paintings
the collector's folio

Richard Cosway Most Popular Paintings

The 25 artworks by Richard Cosway our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 25 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Richard Cosway · 1742 – 1821

Marianne Dorothy Harland (1759–1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple – Richard Cosway

Metropolitan Museum of Art, new york · original 71 x 92 cm

This stunning oil painting depicts Marianne Dorothy Harland, daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Harland, dressed in informal morning attire while playing the harp. Cosway meticulously captures the ambiance of a fashionable interior with decorative elements like a fireplace and vases, reflecting the artistic sensibilities of the Regency era.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #1: Marianne Dorothy Harland (1759–1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple
Art Movement
Rococo Decorative Style
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 1 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork
Same size as the original$34092 × 71 cm Commission at original size

William Pitt the Younger, English Prime Minister (1785) by Richard Cosway

1785 · New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans

Experience the ethereal luminosity of Richard Cosway's masterful miniature portrait of William Pitt the Younger from 1785; discover this exquisite Georgian era piece today.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #2: William Pitt the Younger, English Prime Minister
Art Movement
Hudson River School
Color Palette
Neutrals
View the artwork

Mezzotint. Portrait of James Hutton (1715-1795) by Richard Cosway, 1786

1786 · Science Museum, London

Admire Richard Cosway's exquisite mezzotint portrait of James Hutton, Secretary of the Moravian Society (1786), capturing the intellectual fervor of the Regency era and showcasing Smith’s masterful engraving technique.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #3: Mezzotint. Portrait of James Hutton (1715-1795)
Art Movement
Regency Portraiture
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 3 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Timon of Athens Before His Cave by Richard Cosway, 1805

1805 · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 24 x 18 cm

Experience the profound contemplation of Cosway's Regency Idealism with Timon of Athens Before His Cave; own this masterful 1805 portrait today.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #4: Timon of Athens Before His Cave
Art Movement
Romantic Portraiture
Color Palette
Monochrome
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 4 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Richard Cosway: Portrait of an Unknown Lady

1770 · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 5.0 x 4.0cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #5: Portrait of an Unknown Lady
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 5 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Elizabeth, Countess of Hopetown, Richard Cosway

1789 · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 7.6 x 6.0cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #6: Elizabeth, Countess of Hopetown
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 6 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a Man in Armour (1808) by Richard Cosway

1808 · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 7.3 x 6.0cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #7: Portrait of a Man in Armour
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 7 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Richard Cosway: Portrait of a Gentleman

Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 5.4 x 4.8cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #8: Portrait of a Gentleman
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 8 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of a Young Lady

Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · original 9.8 x 7.3cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #9: Portrait of a Young Lady
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 9 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Hannah Lightbody

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #10: Hannah Lightbody
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 10 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17728 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs Siddons Reading in a Grotto (1810) by Richard Cosway

1810
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #11: Mrs Siddons Reading in a Grotto
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 11 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Self Portrait In Masquerade Dress

Attingham Park
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #12: Self Portrait In Masquerade Dress
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 12 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17728 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

Portrait of an unknown lady

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #13: Portrait of an unknown lady
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 13 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17731 × 32 cm Commission this artwork

Richard Cosway: General Sir William Erskine, Ist Bart (1728-1795)

1780 · Royal Collection, London · original 73.4 x 59.7cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #14: General Sir William Erskine, Ist Bart (1728-1795)
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 14 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork
Same size as the original$27760 × 73 cm Commission at original size

Admiral Sir George Montagu, G.C.B., Richard Cosway

original 76.5 x 64.2cm
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #15: Admiral Sir George Montagu, G.C.B.
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 15 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork
Same size as the original$29364 × 77 cm Commission at original size

Portrait Of The Artist

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #16: Portrait Of The Artist
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 16 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17730 × 33 cm Commission this artwork

Master Carew by Richard Cosway

1790
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #17: Master Carew
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 17 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Mrs Siddons Reading In A Grotto, Richard Cosway

Admire Richard Cosway’s ‘Mrs Siddons Reading In A Grotto’! Romantic portrait featuring a solitary figure in a dramatic landscape. Oil painting, 18th-century style.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #18: Mrs Siddons Reading In A Grotto
Art Movement
Romanticism
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 18 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17737 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

Benjamin D'israeli The Elder, Richard Cosway

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #19: Benjamin D'israeli The Elder
Color Palette
Dark
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 19 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Vice Admiral Colonel James Seton

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #20: Vice Admiral Colonel James Seton
Color Palette
Dark
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 20 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17728 × 36 cm Commission this artwork

Alexander Mackenzie

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #21: Alexander Mackenzie
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 21 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 38 cm Commission this artwork

Marianne Dorothy Harland (1759 1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple, Richard Cosway

original 71 x 92 cm

Admire Richard Cosway’s portrait of Marianne Harland, a stunning Rococo masterpiece! Explore intricate details, elegant beauty & symbolic richness in this 18th-century artwork.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #22: Marianne Dorothy Harland (1759 1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple
Art Movement
Rococo
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 22 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17736 × 28 cm Commission this artwork
Same size as the original$34092 × 71 cm Commission at original size

Richard Cosway: Portrait of James Hope 3rd Earl of Hopetoun,

1789 · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

Admire Richard Cosway’s ‘Portrait of James Hope 3rd Earl of Hopetoun,’ a stunning Regency-era portrait showcasing elegance & confidence. Explore this masterpiece!

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #23: Portrait of James Hope 3rd Earl of Hopetoun,
Art Movement
Neoclassical
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 23 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17726 × 39 cm Commission this artwork

Master Carew

Discover Richard Cosway’s ‘Master Carew,’ a captivating 18th-century portrait showcasing youthful innocence amidst a serene woodland setting. Explore this oil painting's refined style & historical significance.

View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #24: Master Carew
Art Movement
Neoclassicism
Color Palette
Earthy
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 24 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17727 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

A Lady as a Sibyl (Possibly Harriet Mellon)

1805
View the most popular artwork of Richard Cosway ranked #25: A Lady as a Sibyl (Possibly Harriet Mellon)
Color Palette
Dark
Technique
Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made
To order, by a trained painter
Popularity
No. 25 of 93 artworks by Richard Cosway
Delivery
Worldwide, about 5 weeks
from$17729 × 35 cm Commission this artwork
The artist

Richard Cosway

1742 – 1821

Portrait of Richard Cosway
Quick facts
  • Also known asRichard Caway, R. Cosway, R. Cosway R.A., Cosway, Richard, Sir Cosway
  • Top-ranked workMarianne Dorothy Harland (1759–1785), Later Mrs. William Dalrymple
  • Museums on APSNationalmuseum, Cincinnati Art Museum, Yale Center for British Art, New Orleans Museum of Art, Finnish National Gallery
  • Movementsrococo
  • Best occasionsaccent
  • Vibeelegant
  • Corpus themescosway's signature style, aristocratic portraiture
  • Art periodEarly Modern
Biography

A Life in Miniature: The World of Richard Cosway

Richard Cosway, born in the quiet Devon town of Tiverton in 1742, ascended to become one of the most celebrated portrait miniaturists of his age. His journey began with a precocious talent recognized early on; at twelve years old, he was already demonstrating artistic promise significant enough to warrant a move to London for formal training. He studied under Thomas Hudson and William Shipley, foundational figures who instilled in him not only technical skill but also an entrepreneurial spirit that would define his career. Even before establishing his own business by 1760, Cosway had secured recognition from the Society of Arts, foreshadowing the acclaim he would soon garner within London’s vibrant artistic circles. This early success wasn't merely about talent; it was a testament to ambition and a keen understanding of the burgeoning market for portraiture during the Georgian era.

The Regency Era’s Premier Portraitist

Cosway quickly distinguished himself through his exquisite miniatures, a particularly popular art form in an age captivated by elegance and personal representation. His style was characterized by a refined attention to detail, subtle yet luminous color palettes, and an almost uncanny ability to capture not just likeness but the very essence of his sitters. He wasn’t simply painting faces; he was crafting intimate glimpses into character and social standing. This talent brought him to the attention of the aristocracy, becoming their favored portraitist. Notable commissions included portraits of Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, showcasing Cosway's skill in conveying both power and personality. A particularly poignant work is his miniature depicting Midshipman Isaac Smith aboard HMS Endeavour, a captivating snapshot of maritime life that transcends mere portraiture to become a historical document. His ability to capture the nuances of human expression, combined with technical mastery, cemented his reputation as *the* miniaturist of the Regency period.

Recognition and Royal Patronage

Cosway’s artistic prowess was formally acknowledged by the establishment when he was elected an Associate Member of the Royal Academy in 1770, swiftly followed by full membership in 1771. This inclusion placed him amongst the leading artists of his day, as immortalized in Johan Zoffany's famous group portrait of Royal Academy members – a testament to his peers’ respect and admiration. However, it was his appointment as Painter to the Prince of Wales in 1785 that truly signified the pinnacle of his career. This wasn’t merely a title; it represented royal patronage, prestige, and access to an exclusive circle of influence. It also allowed him to sign his works with the impressive designation *Primarius Pictor Serenissimi Walliae Principis* – Principal Painter to His Most Serene Highness the Prince of Wales – a bold declaration of his status. He moved in sophisticated circles alongside artists like John Smart and George Engleheart, contributing to a dynamic artistic community that thrived on innovation and mutual inspiration.

A Complex Legacy

The personal life of Richard Cosway was as captivating as his art. His marriage in 1781 to Maria Hadfield, herself an accomplished artist, was marked by both collaboration and complexity. Their home became a fashionable salon, attracting prominent figures from the arts and society, fostering intellectual exchange and creative energy. However, later in life, Cosway experienced periods of mental instability that ultimately led to institutionalization. Despite these challenges, his artistic legacy endures. His miniatures are highly valued not only for their technical brilliance but also for the historical insights they offer into the social and cultural landscape of the Regency era. The Witts Family Group, for example, is a masterpiece of composition and character study. Cosway’s influence can be seen in subsequent generations of miniature artists, solidifying his place as a pivotal figure in British art history. He remains a symbol of an age defined by elegance, refinement, and the enduring power of portraiture to capture the spirit of an era.

Questions & Answers

Where are Richard Cosway's artworks grouped by palette?

To find works by Richard Cosway in a specific palette, use the artist's By Palettes page.

How can I see every artwork made by Richard Cosway?

Every work by Richard Cosway on this website can be browsed from the artist's All Artworks page.

What aliases or alternate names does Richard Cosway have?

Richard Cosway is also known as Richard Caway, R. Cosway, R. Cosway R.A., Cosway, Richard, Sir Cosway.

By the WikiOO.org Editorial Team Updated Sept. 2, 2026
Collector's quiz
  1. Richard Cosway was renowned for his expertise in what type of portraiture?

  2. In what year did Richard Cosway become a full member of the Royal Academy?

  3. What significant title was Richard Cosway appointed to in 1785?

  4. Who did Richard Cosway marry in 1781?

  5. Richard Cosway is known to have painted a portrait of which future Duke?

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two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

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All artworks by Richard Cosway

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