Charles West Cope
Encyclopedia
Charles West Cope was an English
Victorian era
painter
of genre and history scenes, and an etcher. He was responsible for painting several frescos in the House of Lords
in London.
in Yorkshire
, the son of Charles Cope, a water-colour landscape painter and art teacher. He was given the name "West" after that of a celebrated painter, Benjamin West
(?), and his only sister Ellen, given the middle-name "Turner", after J M W Turner - both painters being friends of his father. His mother was 'a gifted amateur' artist in water-colours who died shortly after Charles' birth.
Charles was sent as a child to a boarding school in Camberwell
, London, and afterwards to "Terry's school" (sic) at Great Marlow
, where he was bullied and his elbow broken, which left him with a crooked arm for life. He then went to Leeds Grammar School
, where he suffered from the attentions of a cruel teacher.
In 1827, Cope's father was killed in a stage coach accident. That same year he entered Sass's Academy
in Bloomsbury
, London, and in 1828 became a student of the Royal Academy
. He obtained a silver medal from the Society of Arts in 1829, a second medal in the Royal Academy Life School, and a life studentship. About 1830 he lived at lodgings in Great Russell Street
, Bloomsbury.
In 1832 Cope went to Paris
and practiced his art by copying 'old masters' at The Louvre such as Titian
, Rembrandt and others. In 1833 he exhibited at the Royal Academy for the first time - a picture called 'The Golden Age'. In September of the same year he travelled to Italy
, where he spent two years - earning a living for part of the time by painting pictures on commission. His painting 'The Firstborn' was completed in Florence
and exhibited at the British Institution
.
After returning to England, Cope took lodgings in Newman Street, London, then moved to 1 Russell Place, where his landlord and family became his artist's models. Here he painted 'Paolo and Franceses' and 'Osteria di Campagna,' which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1837 and 1838 respectively, and sold shortly thereafter for a considerable sum. In 1839-40 he painted a large altar-piece (16 feet by 10) for St George's Church, Leeds
, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1840.
Cope founded an artists' society called "The Etching Club
" which included artists such as William Holman Hunt
, Richard Redgrave
and Samuel Palmer
. The club published several books of etchings illustrating various themes by well-known authors such as Goldsmith
's "The Deserted Village", Sonnets by Shakespeare and Milton
's "L'Allegro" and "Il ponseroso".
On 1 September 1840, Cope married Charlotte Benning - the daughter of a surgeon with a large country practice. They lived first in furnished lodgings in Lisson Grove
, London, then moved to a house in Kensington
(which Cope himself had commissioned) in 1841. In that same year his painting 'Poor Law Guardians: Board-day application for bread' was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
. He also received 400 pounds for his design of 'Prince Henry Acknowledging the Authority of Judge Gascoigne'. Cope received a commission to execute this design in fresco, and also another of 'Edward the Black Prince receiving the Order of the Garter.' These commissions, and others, engaged Cope in fresco painting in the House of Lords for several years. He was also elected an associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1843.
In 1848 he became a Royal Academician (RA) after exhibiting a large work 'Cardinal Wolsey's Reception at Leicester Abbey'. In this year he was engaged on the frescos of 'Griselda' and 'Lara' on the wall of the upper waiting hall of the House of Lords. In 1849 he exhibited a painting 'The First-born' which was subsequently engraved for the Art Union of London. In that year he travelled to Italy and Germany to improve his knowledge and technique of fresco painting. He visited Peter von Hess
in Munich
, who was working on a fresco in the Basilica of St. Boniface
In 1850, Cope showed 'King Lear and Cordelia' at the RA, and, in 1851, 'The Sisters,' and 'Laurence Saunders's Martyrdom'. In 1852, he painted the 'Marriage of Griselda' and in 1853, 'Othello relating his Adventures to Dessdemona'. In the same year he became seriously ill with an internal tumour. In 1854 he exhibited 'The Friends', and in 1855 'Royal Prisoners'. In 1856 he painted 'The Embarkation of a Puritan Family for New England' for the peers' corridor in the House of Lords, for which a fresco was afterwards substituted. The main painting was sent to America, and Cope was made an honorary member of the Philadelphian Society of Arts.
In 1857 Cope exhibited 'Affronted' and executed a fresco of 'The Burial of Charles I' in the peers' corridor (House of Lords). In 1858 came 'The Stepping Stones,' and in 1859 a picture of 'Cordelia receiving the News of her father's Ill-treatment', and the fresco of 'The Parting of Lord and Lady William Russell' in the peers' corridor.
In 1861 the fresco of 'Raising the Standard' was placed in the peers' corridor. In 1862 he painted (using the "water-glass method") the fresco of 'The Defence of Basing House,' and in 1863-4 that of the 'Expulsion of Fellows from Oxford for refusing to sign the Covenant.' In 1865 he exhibited a study of Fra Angelico
in oil, afterwards executed in mosaic on a larger scale at the South Kensington Museum. In the year his large posthumous portrait of Prince Albert was hung in the large room of the Society of Arts.
In 1865 and 1866 Cope finished his best frescoes in the House of Lords - 'Meeting of Train Bands to relieve the Siege of Gloucester' and 'Speaker Lenthall asserting the Privileges of the Commons.' In 1867 he was appointed professor of painting at the Royal Academy, and delivered six lectures a year till 1875. In 1867 also he painted a third scene (moonlight) from 'Othello' (exhibited 1868). Cope's wife, Charlotte, died In 1868.
In 1879 Cope married his second wife Eleanor Smart. They settled at Maidenhead
in Berkshire
(on the Thames). In 1883 he retired as a professional artist though he continued to paint for his own enjoyment and also took up boating and cycling. He wrote his autobiography, "Reminiscences", which was completed in October 1889.
Cope died in Bournemouth
on 21 Aug. 1890, after a brief illness.
The artist's son from his first marriage, Arthur Stockdale Cope
RA (1857–1940,) became a well-known and successful portrait painter.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of genre and history scenes, and an etcher. He was responsible for painting several frescos in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
in London.
Early life and training
Cope was born at Park Square, LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, the son of Charles Cope, a water-colour landscape painter and art teacher. He was given the name "West" after that of a celebrated painter, Benjamin West
Benjamin West
Benjamin West, RA was an Anglo-American painter of historical scenes around and after the time of the American War of Independence...
(?), and his only sister Ellen, given the middle-name "Turner", after J M W Turner - both painters being friends of his father. His mother was 'a gifted amateur' artist in water-colours who died shortly after Charles' birth.
Charles was sent as a child to a boarding school in Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
, London, and afterwards to "Terry's school" (sic) at Great Marlow
Great Marlow
Great Marlow is a civil parish within Wycombe district in the English county of Buckinghamshire located north of the town of Marlow and south of High Wycombe. The parish includes the hamlets of Bovingdon Green, Burroughs Grove, Chisbridge Cross and Marlow Common, and Danesfield Base, a housing...
, where he was bullied and his elbow broken, which left him with a crooked arm for life. He then went to Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552. In August 2005 it merged with Leeds Girls' High School to form The Grammar School at Leeds. The two schools physically united in September 2008....
, where he suffered from the attentions of a cruel teacher.
In 1827, Cope's father was killed in a stage coach accident. That same year he entered Sass's Academy
Henry Sass
Henry Sass was an English artist and teacher of painting, who founded an important art school, Sass's Academy , in London, to provide training for those seeking to enter the Royal Academy. Many distinguished British painters received their early training here...
in Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury
-Places:* Bloomsbury is an area in central London.* Bloomsbury , related local government unit* Bloomsbury, New Jersey, New Jersey, USA* Bloomsbury , listed on the NRHP in Maryland...
, London, and in 1828 became a student of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. He obtained a silver medal from the Society of Arts in 1829, a second medal in the Royal Academy Life School, and a life studentship. About 1830 he lived at lodgings in Great Russell Street
Great Russell Street
Great Russell Street is a street in Bloomsbury, central London, England. It is the location of the main entrance of the British Museum to the north. The Congress Centre of the Trades Union Congress is located at number 28...
, Bloomsbury.
In 1832 Cope went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and practiced his art by copying 'old masters' at The Louvre such as Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
, Rembrandt and others. In 1833 he exhibited at the Royal Academy for the first time - a picture called 'The Golden Age'. In September of the same year he travelled to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, where he spent two years - earning a living for part of the time by painting pictures on commission. His painting 'The Firstborn' was completed in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
and exhibited at the British Institution
British Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
.
Early career
St George's Church, Leeds
St George's is a Church of England parish based in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The church building is near to Leeds General Infirmary. Although based in the city centre, the congregation is drawn from all parts of the city, including a large student congregation.The current staff...
, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1840.
Cope founded an artists' society called "The Etching Club
The Etching Club
The Etching Club was an artists' society founded in London, England in 1838 by Charles West Cope. The club published illustrated editions of works by authors such as Oliver Goldsmith, Shakespeare, John Milton and Thomas Gray...
" which included artists such as William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt OM was an English painter, and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.-Biography:...
, Richard Redgrave
Richard Redgrave
Richard Redgrave RA was an English artist.-Early life:Redgrave was born on 30 April 1804 in Pimlico, at 2 Belgrave Terrace, the second son of William Redgrave, and younger brother of Samuel Redgrave. While was employed in his father's manufacturing firm, he visited the British Museum to make...
and Samuel Palmer
Samuel Palmer
Samuel Palmer was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in Romanticism in Britain and produced visionary pastoral paintings.-Early life:...
. The club published several books of etchings illustrating various themes by well-known authors such as Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
's "The Deserted Village", Sonnets by Shakespeare and Milton
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's "L'Allegro" and "Il ponseroso".
On 1 September 1840, Cope married Charlotte Benning - the daughter of a surgeon with a large country practice. They lived first in furnished lodgings in Lisson Grove
Lisson Grove
Lisson Grove is a district and also a street of the City of Westminster, London, England located just to the north of the city ring road. There are many landmarks surrounding the area. To the north is Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood. To the west are Paddington and Watling Street...
, London, then moved to a house in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
(which Cope himself had commissioned) in 1841. In that same year his painting 'Poor Law Guardians: Board-day application for bread' was exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Painting frescos for the Houses of Parliament
Cope submitted designs for a competition to decorate the interior of the Houses of Parliament, and, in 1843, his drawing, 'The First Trial by Jury' earned him a prize of 300 pounds. In 1844 he submitted a further design called 'Meeting of Jacob and Rachel,' and was one of the six painters commissioned in July of that year to prepare preliminary drawings, coloured sketches, and specimens of fresco painting for the decoration of the House of LordsHouse of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He also received 400 pounds for his design of 'Prince Henry Acknowledging the Authority of Judge Gascoigne'. Cope received a commission to execute this design in fresco, and also another of 'Edward the Black Prince receiving the Order of the Garter.' These commissions, and others, engaged Cope in fresco painting in the House of Lords for several years. He was also elected an associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1843.
In 1848 he became a Royal Academician (RA) after exhibiting a large work 'Cardinal Wolsey's Reception at Leicester Abbey'. In this year he was engaged on the frescos of 'Griselda' and 'Lara' on the wall of the upper waiting hall of the House of Lords. In 1849 he exhibited a painting 'The First-born' which was subsequently engraved for the Art Union of London. In that year he travelled to Italy and Germany to improve his knowledge and technique of fresco painting. He visited Peter von Hess
Peter von Hess
Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess was a German painter, known for historic paintings, especially of the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek War of Independence.-Life:...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, who was working on a fresco in the Basilica of St. Boniface
In 1850, Cope showed 'King Lear and Cordelia' at the RA, and, in 1851, 'The Sisters,' and 'Laurence Saunders's Martyrdom'. In 1852, he painted the 'Marriage of Griselda' and in 1853, 'Othello relating his Adventures to Dessdemona'. In the same year he became seriously ill with an internal tumour. In 1854 he exhibited 'The Friends', and in 1855 'Royal Prisoners'. In 1856 he painted 'The Embarkation of a Puritan Family for New England' for the peers' corridor in the House of Lords, for which a fresco was afterwards substituted. The main painting was sent to America, and Cope was made an honorary member of the Philadelphian Society of Arts.
In 1857 Cope exhibited 'Affronted' and executed a fresco of 'The Burial of Charles I' in the peers' corridor (House of Lords). In 1858 came 'The Stepping Stones,' and in 1859 a picture of 'Cordelia receiving the News of her father's Ill-treatment', and the fresco of 'The Parting of Lord and Lady William Russell' in the peers' corridor.
In 1861 the fresco of 'Raising the Standard' was placed in the peers' corridor. In 1862 he painted (using the "water-glass method") the fresco of 'The Defence of Basing House,' and in 1863-4 that of the 'Expulsion of Fellows from Oxford for refusing to sign the Covenant.' In 1865 he exhibited a study of Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico , born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent"...
in oil, afterwards executed in mosaic on a larger scale at the South Kensington Museum. In the year his large posthumous portrait of Prince Albert was hung in the large room of the Society of Arts.
In 1865 and 1866 Cope finished his best frescoes in the House of Lords - 'Meeting of Train Bands to relieve the Siege of Gloucester' and 'Speaker Lenthall asserting the Privileges of the Commons.' In 1867 he was appointed professor of painting at the Royal Academy, and delivered six lectures a year till 1875. In 1867 also he painted a third scene (moonlight) from 'Othello' (exhibited 1868). Cope's wife, Charlotte, died In 1868.
Final years
Cope continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1882, his most important painting of that period being 'The Council of the Royal Academy selecting Pictures for the Exhibition', shown in 1876. In that same year he went to America as one of the representatives of the RA at the centennial exhibition in Philadelphia.In 1879 Cope married his second wife Eleanor Smart. They settled at Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
(on the Thames). In 1883 he retired as a professional artist though he continued to paint for his own enjoyment and also took up boating and cycling. He wrote his autobiography, "Reminiscences", which was completed in October 1889.
Cope died in Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
on 21 Aug. 1890, after a brief illness.
The artist's son from his first marriage, Arthur Stockdale Cope
Arthur Stockdale Cope
Arthur Stockdale Cope was an English portrait painter.-Life and work:Cope's father was Charles West Cope , a successful history and genre painter. He trained in art at Carey’s Art School before moving to the Royal Academy schools...
RA (1857–1940,) became a well-known and successful portrait painter.
Works
There is a full date-order catalogue of Cope's works, which stretch over 50 years from 1832–82, in Appendix II (p. 375 ff.) of his "Reminiscences" (see "further reading").Further reading
- Cope, Charles West & Cope, Charles Henry. Reminiscences of Charles West Cope, R. A. (London: Bentley, 1891).
External links
- Cope online (ArtCyclopedia)
- C W Cope biography and paintings (allpaintings.org)
- C W Cope paintings (Art Renewal Center Museum)
- Child paintings by Cope ("Children in art history")
- The first piano lesson (c. 1860 painting)
- The Night Alar. The advance! (1871 painting)
- Wolsey at Leicester Abbey (etching)
- Hope deferred (1877 etching - V & A)
- Self portrait and photos of the artist (National Portrait Gallery)