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Samuel KuperArtist.
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of Samuel Cooper
- Early Life and Education
- Marriage and Career
- Style and Technique
- Recognition and Legacy
Biography of Samuel Cooper
Samuel Cooper was a renowned artist whose reputation remains high even today. Unlike many artists, he did not have to wait for recognition for years. By the age of 30, he was already considered one of the best miniature painters in Europe. However, very little is known about Cooper's life. His biographers have limited sources such as government documents, rare mentions by contemporaries, and a few letters from his friends. Despite this, Cooper's numerous connections and acquaintances in high society, where he lived his life, could have provided more tangible evidence of his life. He traveled extensively throughout Europe and was acquainted with the greatest minds of France, Holland, and England. It is evident that he was a well-educated individual, with contemporary accounts mentioning his remarkable musical abilities and knowledge of several foreign languages. A brief description of Cooper was left by Cosimo III de' Medici, who had heard much about the artist even before his visit to England in 1669. Cosimo III described Cooper as "a small man, lively and witty, a gracious host of his splendidly furnished house."
Early Life and Education
Samuel Cooper and his older brother Alexander were raised by their uncle, John Hoskins, who was also a miniature painter. Hoskins was Samuel Cooper's first teacher, but the exceptional talent of his nephew quickly surpassed his own. Soon, Cooper was the one commissioned to paint the portraits of clients, while Hoskins worked on the background. It can be assumed that Cooper stopped working with Hoskins around 1642 when he moved to his own house. From then on, all of Cooper's works were dated and signed.
Marriage and Career
Cooper was married to Christine Turner, one of the seventeen children of a Yorkshire landowner. Her sister, Edith, was the mother of the famous poet Alexander Pope. The Cooper couple appeared to be childless, as Samuel Cooper named his wife as his sole heir in his will. Christine outlived her husband by many years, and the only known portrait of her is an exquisite unfinished miniature from the collection of the Duke of Portland.
In his early works, Cooper showed the influence of Hoskins. However, like many artists of his time, Cooper became fascinated with the works of Van Dyck and repeatedly copied his paintings. He mastered the techniques of baroque drawing and delicate modeling, which were characteristic of oil painting on canvas, and successfully applied them to his watercolor miniatures. This technique was something entirely new and unknown to his predecessors such as Hilliard, Oliver, and Hoskins, whose works followed the traditions of book miniatures. One notable miniature from this period is the portrait of Margaret Lemon in male attire, which demonstrates the artist's mature skills.
Style and Technique
Unlike many fashionable portraitists of his time, Cooper was able to capture the individual features of his models. His portraits are characterized by a delicate color harmony, meticulously modeled faces, and lively expressions. Most of his miniatures are set against a landscape background, with subdued tones, while the faces and costumes stand out with clear, pure colors. Cooper had a preference for focusing on the character of the model rather than painting accessories, but when required by the client, he skillfully depicted elaborate costumes and intricate hairstyles. He excelled in both male and female portraits, painting his models with sympathy and understanding. Notable examples include the portrait of Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon (1667) and the exquisite miniature of James, Duke of York (1661), which is now housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum. The collection of the Duke of Portland also holds a series of remarkable miniatures by Cooper.
Recognition and Legacy
The value of Cooper's miniatures steadily increased. While his portraits were priced at 12 pounds in the 1650s, twenty years later, Cosimo III de' Medici paid him 150 pounds, placing Cooper's earning on par with the leading "great" painters of his time. The unanimous agreement of the rich English aristocracy to generously pay for the artist's work is the most significant testament to his fame. Interestingly, Cooper's reputation as an artist outweighed any political turmoil or intrigue. Despite working for Cromwell and his circle during the period of the English Republic, this did not hinder him from receiving royal and court patronage immediately after the Restoration.
In the 1650s, Cooper created several remarkable portraits of Oliver Cromwell, including his most famous unfinished miniature from the early 1650s. The tired yet strong-willed face of Cromwell is rendered with a rare realism rarely seen in the 17th century. Cooper painted miniature portraits of Elizabeth Bourchier, Cromwell's wife, as well as his daughters, sons, and comrades. He became so occupied with this work that it was almost impossible for other clients to have the honor of sitting for him. The year 1660 marked the Restoration in England. King Charles II, the son of the executed Charles I, returned to London. Among his first actions were the execution of his father's murderers, the exhumation and hanging of Oliver Cromwell's body, and... a visit to Cooper's studio.
Charles II was a great lover of painting, and as expected, Cooper painted countless portraits of him. The famous miniature from 1665 depicts the king in ceremonial attire with the Order of the Garter ribbon and insignia. Cooper created his best miniatures in the last twelve years of his life. Charles II appointed him as a royal portraitist and provided him with an annual pension. Cooper painted miniatures of the king, his numerous mistresses, their offspring, and the court nobility. The number of commissions surpassed his capacity to satisfy all those desiring his work. Until recently, only two drawings by Cooper were known: a sketch of Charles II (Windsor) and a drawing of Thomas Alcock (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford). A few years ago, four magnificent drawings were discovered, further attesting to the admiration of Cooper's contemporaries, who mentioned his "rare pencil" that possibly had no equal in Europe.
Cooper continued to work with inexhaustible energy and unwavering mastery until his last days. An example of this is the superb miniature of Lord Shilforde, dated 1672, the year of the artist's death.
The name of Samuel Cooper is highly esteemed in England and beyond. The English consider him the greatest miniature painter of the 17th century.
