John Sell Cotman

John Sell Cotman, a leading member of the Norwich School, transformed English landscape painting with his delicate watercolors and architectural etchings.

ABOUT

Born in Norwich in 1782, John Sell Cotman displayed an early talent for art, much to the chagrin of his father who wished him to join the family silk and lace business. Despite this, Cotman moved to London in 1798, immersing himself in the vibrant art scene. There, he met influential figures like J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Girtin, whose sketching club he joined. These early years saw him embarking on drawing expeditions across southern Britain, including Wales and Yorkshire,…

Read John's full story in Art Whisper

NOTABLE WORKS

A Castle in Normandy 1795 · Cleveland Museum of Art Traveler in a Woodland Landscape 1806 · Cleveland Museum of Art Liber Studiorum: Plate 43, A Norfolk Plough 1814 · Cleveland Museum of Art Whitby 1819 · Cleveland Museum of Art Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (Vol. II), Pl. 64: House in the Place de la Pucelle, at Rouen 1821 · Cleveland Museum of Art Architectural Antiquities of Normandy (Vol. II), Pl. 90: Castle of Falaise (North View) 1821 · Cleveland Museum of Art

See all of John's works in Art Whisper

INFLUENCES

Influenced by

Thomas GirtinRomanticism J. M. W. TurnerRomanticism Giovanni Battista PiranesiNeoclassicism/Romanticism

Influenced

Miles Edmund CotmanNorwich School John Joseph CotmanNorwich School