Lightly illustrated, entertainingly written teenage diaries by the precociously accomplished future British landscape and portrait painter, and nephew of the renowned ‘Norwich School’ artist John Sell Cotman. The first and more extensive volume from 1867 (Cotman was then 17) covers his final months of intense study with William Thomson Griffiths, head of Ipswich School of Art, and his delight at winning a place at the Royal Academy and a move to London.
Frederick George Cotman (1850-1920) was born in Ipswich, Suffolk where he was brought up before moving to London where he continued his artistic practice.
Cotman’s diaries focus on his artistic practice before everything else, as he follows his master in Ipswich: ‘William [Thomson Griffiths] finishing the printing of an Architectural plan of the School of Art’ - but as he takes stock in late May ‘comparing my productions of the present time, much superior to the specimens produced in year [18]66’, Cotman gives scant credit to Griffiths for his ‘little knowledge’ of oil painting.
Cotman enlivens his journal with little sketches - a split coat, a bowler hat - and complains bitterly about one lady sitter: ‘painting Miss Lades likeness, to tell the truth she is a very bad sitter as well as being a difficult subject, not having any color and continually chatting’ (Nov 6). The young Cotman reveals himself to be a fanatical reader, constantly borrowing and buying books in London and Ipswich: ‘went to Read and Barretts bookseller’s and changed what I bought for a book on Early Italian Painters by Mrs Jameson 2/6 & also bought optics 1/ & Blooomfields poems.’
Cotman’s life changed completely in August 1867 when he won a place as a ‘Probationer’ at the Royal Academy, copying into the journal his letter of acceptance from the Academy and detailing his move to London in early October where he met Landseer during his induction ‘a nervous ceremony, he hoped he should see us again as Students often’.
The diary ends with a catalogue of Cotman’s ‘Drawings... which were exhibited at the Assemble Room’ followed by a more extensive 93 item list of ‘Drawings I have begun & fin[ished] in the year of our Lord 1867.’ There is a single page of copied ‘extracts from Uncle Edmund Cotman’s diary of 1836’ as well as Cotman junior’s London expenses.
DESCRIPTION:
1867 - Red roan, labelled in ink ‘Journal 1867’ and on the foreedge:’F Cotman 1867’. Cotman’s signature to first flyleaf and a further decorative title page with Cotman’s address in Ipswich and two manuscript poetic stanzas and a little sketch. The diary covers the full year, pp160, c28,000 words
1869 Pettitt’s Pocket Diary, narrow octavo, red roan: more sporadic entries into a pre-printed grid.
