Attributed to Douglas Cowper, 1817-1839

Raymond Ewart Kemsley Esq.;
Thence by decent to Raymond Crosby Cook;
Thence by decent to the present owner

The canvas has been relined. There is a small spec of apint loss to the right of the upper edge. There is some minor craquelure to the face and elsewhere. There is surface dirt throughout and the painting would benefit from a light clean. Ultra violet reveals retouching to the figure, the left edge and towards the lower right corner. Held in a heavy decorative gold painted frame.
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Born in Gibraltar, Douglas Cowper was the fourth son of William Cowper, a Gibraltar-born merchant, and his English-born wife, Isabella née Douglas. The Cowper family moved to Guernsey where they settled but Douglas who was keen to pursue his interest in art, moved to London aged 17 to study at Henry Sass's Drawing Academy before continuing his education at the Royal Academy Schools. It was however at Sass's Academy that he became great friends with William Powell Frith who in his autobiography describes Cowper as "a fair, handsome, delicate youth who possessed powers which", had he not died of tuberculosis at 22 years of age "would have speedily placed him in the first rank of his profession." (Vol. I, p. 44). In his short life as an artist he exhibited pictures at the Royal Academy, the British Institution and at the Society of British Artists in Suffolk Street.

Frith continues to highlight that Cowper's "matchless application, his delight even in the driest parts of his training, and the rapidity of his improvement, were matters of envy and astonishment to all of us. He was the master's favourite pupil, and often held up to us in his presence as an example." (Vol. I, pp. 44-5) Frith further recollected that during the period that the two young artists were both studying at the Life Academy, "he [Cowper] was far in advance of me in every way" (Vol. I, p. 63) extending further acclaim on his young friend. It is possible that the current picture dates to circa 1836-8, as during this period Cowper was undertaking a full length portrait of Frith which was greatly admired by both Sass and the sitter as beautifully painted and faithfully observed. Interestingly, the current picture bears remarkable similarities to the frontispiece to Vol. III of Frith's autobiography.