Lot 47: Thomas Cooper Gotch, R.B.A., (British, 1854-1931), "Rex Magnificus", oil on canvas, 15-1/2" x 19"

Thomas Cooper Gotch, R.B.A.
(British, 1854-1931)

"Rex Magnificus"

oil on canvas
signed lower right, remnant of old gallery label en verso stretcher. Presented in an antique gilt-washed carved wood frame.
15-1/2" x 19"

Notes: Gotch was one of the few 19th-century painters of children capable of merging an idealized version of childhood with the personality of the individual sitter. While his earliest work was naturalistic in style, a trip to Italy in the 1890s drastically altered his approach. His work became more allegorical, with attention given to decorative elements and the overall design.

The portrait presented here is a wonderful example of the success of this approach. Even with such a small, specific work, Gotch has not neglected any design element, from the delicately rendered wallpaper, to the various patterns of the child's clothing.

References: Charles Caffin, "A Painter of Childhood and Girlhood", Harper's Monthly Magazine, vol. 59, May 1910, pp. 922-932.; A. L. Baldry, "The Work of T. C. Gotch", The Studio International, 1898, pp. 73-82.