John Robert Cozens facts for kids
John Robert Cozens (born 1752 – died 14 December 1797) was a talented British artist. He was known for his beautiful and dreamy watercolour landscape paintings. He created art that showed the beauty of nature.
Cozens' paintings often had special effects of light and atmosphere. These unique styles inspired other famous artists like Thomas Girtin and J. M. W. Turner. His art showed huge, open spaces, especially views of the Alps mountains. Another famous painter, John Constable, called Cozens "the greatest genius that ever touched landscape." This shows how much he was admired.
In June 2010, one of Cozens' paintings, Lake Albano (painted around 1777), was sold. It went for an amazing £2.4 million at an auction in London. This was a record price for any British watercolour from the 1700s!
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About John Robert Cozens
John Robert Cozens was born in London. His father, Alexander Cozens, was also an artist and taught drawing. John Robert learned a lot from his father. He started showing his early drawings in public in 1767.
Early Art and Travels
In 1776, Cozens showed a large oil painting at the Royal Academy in London. This painting was called A Landscape with Hannibal in His March Over the Alps, Showing to His Army the Fertile Plains of Italy. It is now lost, but it was the only oil painting Cozens ever showed at the Academy. This painting later inspired a famous work by J. M. W. Turner.
Between 1776 and 1779, Cozens traveled to Switzerland and Italy. He drew many pictures of the mountains and Italian scenery. He returned to London in 1779. In 1782, he went back to Italy for a second trip. This time, he traveled with the writer William Thomas Beckford. They spent a lot of time in Naples. Cozens came back to England in 1783.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1789, Cozens published a book of his drawings about different types of trees. He tried to show his work at the Royal Academy again, but it was not accepted. They thought it was "not proper art."
When he was 42 years old, Cozens became very unwell. He was cared for at a hospital called Bethlem Royal Hospital. The main doctor there, Dr. Thomas Monro, was also an art collector. He saw how brilliant Cozens' art was and bought his collection. Cozens passed away in London three years later.
Where to See His Art
You can find John Robert Cozens' beautiful paintings in several art collections:
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
- Gallery Oldham
See also
- English school of painting
