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Peter Cross (painter) facts for kids

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Peter Cross (around 1645–1724) was a talented English artist. He was known for painting tiny, detailed portraits called miniatures. He learned from or copied the style of another famous painter, Samuel Cooper. Peter Cross was a popular artist for kings, queens, and nobles during the time of Queen Anne. He even changed a portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, to make her look more beautiful.

Who Was Peter Cross?

For a long time, people thought there were two different painters named Peter Cross and Laurence Cross. This mix-up happened because an art historian named George Vertue misread the artist's signature. The artist signed his work with the letters 'PC' joined together. Now, we know that all these miniature paintings were done by just one person: Peter Cross. Some people, like Horace Walpole, even mistakenly called him "Lewis."

The Life of Peter Cross

Peter Cross was born around 1645. He was the fourth son in a family of seven children. His father, Anthony Cross, was a member of the Drapers' Company in London. His family lived on Lombard Street.

Peter Cross became a very respected miniature painter during the reign of Queen Anne. He was very good at copying the style of Samuel Cooper, and he might have even been his student. Cross signed his miniatures with his initials, PC, joined together in gold. This signature looked a lot like the one used by Sir Peter Lely, another famous painter. Because of this, some of Cross's paintings were mistakenly thought to be by Lely.

Cross was hired by many important people, including royalty and nobles. His miniature portraits ended up in many large art collections. Some of his works are in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle and the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch.

One interesting story about Peter Cross is about a portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. He was asked to fix a small portrait of her. He was told to make her look as beautiful as possible. He did exactly that, which meant he created a new, more idealized look for the queen that wasn't entirely accurate.

Peter Cross also owned a valuable collection of miniatures himself. These included works by famous artists like Isaac and Peter Oliver, John Hoskins, and Samuel Cooper. He sold his collection in 1722 at his home, the "Blue Anchor," in London. Peter Cross passed away in October 1724. According to George Vertue, who knew him, Cross was over 70 years old when he died.

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