![]() His works tend to have a greenish-blue hue to them, and his red pigments have faded a little over the years. Crosse's miniatures often seem to be dominated by a shade of greenish-blue, maybe influenced by the early work of Joshua Reynolds. His fees started at around 8 guineas for small works, and rose up to 30 guineas for his largest portraits.Ĭrosse's work is refined, and in the best examples the sitters really look as if they could walk right out of the frame, they are so lifelike. During the 1780s and 1790s Crosse did use some large sized ivories of 3.5 inches or more in height. Ivory was used for miniatures, as it gives a beautiful luminosity to the skin tones of the sitter's face. Rather than attempt to paint on large surfaces, many portrait miniaturists from this period used ivories of only 1 1⁄ 2 to 2 inches in height. The miniaturists of the period 1760–1780 were still learning to paint on ivory, as it has a greasy surface which is difficult to paint with watercolour. Many of his portrait miniatures are small in size, being less than 2 inches in height. He painted his works mainly with watercolour on ivory he also executed a few miniatures in enamel, a difficult and not always successful medium as well as painting portraits in oil. His clients included the Prince of Wales, and the Dukes of Cumberland and Gloucester. ĭespite not being able to hear or speak, Crosse was very successful, and was highly regarded by his distinguished clientele. Basil Long in his book "British Miniaturists" (1929) regarded Crosse as a very accurate draughtsman who painted without hesitation or retouching and who will one day receive recognition for his sound, if modest, work. His brother acted as intermediary between Crosse and his clients. He lived and worked in Henrietta Street, in Covent Garden, London, from 1760. He also studied at the Duke of Richmond's Gallery.Ĭrosse exhibited his work at the new London societies: at the Society of Artists 1760–1796, the Free Society 1761–1766, and the Royal Academy 1770–1796. He then moved to London and, like Richard Cosway and John Smart, he studied at the new drawing school of William Shipley, the founder of the Society of Arts. At the age of 16 he won a premium at the newly created 'Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce' (the Society of Arts) in London. She died the next day.Ĭrosse died in May 1810, at his old family home in Knowle.Ĭrosse began painting as a hobby, as was the fashion amongst the gentry. ![]() On seeing Sarah after so many years, Crosse rushed up to her and embraced her with strong emotion. She arrived unexpectedly, and her brother was not able to get Crosse out of the house beforehand. Crosse met Sarah Cobley again in 1807, when she decided to visit her brother after she learned she her illness was fatal. Crosse retired to Wells in the late 1790s, and lived with Miss Cobley's brother. His brother kept house and acted as liaison between Crosse and his clients. Crosse lived and worked in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, from 1760. He is said to have felt the pain of this unrequited love for the rest of his life, and never married. He had at least six siblings.Ĭrosse fell in love with his cousin, Sarah Cobley, but she was already engaged to Benjamin Haydon - and it appears that he was deeply affected by his disappointment, leaving Crosse heartbroken. Crosse was, like one of his sisters, completely deaf and never able to speak. His father was a lawyer, and his family were members of the landed gentry. He was a contemporary of John Smart, George Engleheart, Richard Cosway and William Wood.Ĭrosse was born on 24 April 1742 in Knowle, in the parish of Cullompton, Devon, to John and Mary Crosse. Richard Crosse (1742–1810) was a leading English painter of portrait miniatures.
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