John Cotman

Caen – The Artists – Cotman, John Sell

This page forms part of a series of pages dedicated to the many artists who painted in Caen. A full list of all the artists with a link to their works can be found at the bottom of this page.

John Cotman
John Cotman

Movement(s): –

John Sell Cotman (1782 – 1842) was a British artist and watercolorist, known for his contributions to the English Romantic movement.

Born in Norwich, the son of a silk merchant and lace dealer, Cotman was educated at the Norwich Grammar School. He showed an early talent for art. It was intended that he followed his father into the family business but, intent on a career in art, he moved to London in 1798, where he met artists such as J. M. W. Turner, Peter de Wint and Thomas Girtin, whose sketching club he joined, and whom he travelled with to Wales and Surrey.

Cotman was trained as an architect but eventually became known for his watercolors and etchings, which captured the rugged beauty of the British countryside.

Cotman’s watercolors are characterized by their loose, spontaneous brushwork and their ability to convey a sense of atmosphere and mood. He was particularly interested in the interplay between light and shadow, and his paintings often feature dramatic contrasts between dark and light areas. He was also a skilled etcher, and his etchings of landscapes and architectural subjects are highly regarded for their technical virtuosity and atmospheric qualities.

In addition to his work as an artist, Cotman was also an influential teacher and writer on art. He wrote several books on watercolor technique, including “An Account of the Architecture, Paintings and other Curiosities in Norfolk and Suffolk” (1819) and “An Essay on the Principles of Landscape Painting in Watercolours” (1824). He taught watercolor painting at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and had a significant impact on the development of watercolor as a medium in Britain.

Cotman’s work is considered to be among the finest examples of English Romantic landscape painting, and his legacy has continued to inspire artists and art lovers alike. Today, his works can be found in major collections around the world, including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

In 1834 his eldest son Miles Edmund remained in Norwich to work as an art teacher, when the rest of the Cotman family moved to London upon the appointment of John Sell Cotman as a Professor of Drawing at King’s College. A year after his move to London, Mile Edmund himself moved to London, becoming his father’s assistant after his brother John Joseph moved back to Norwich. His sons Miles Edmund and John Joseph Cotman later became painters of note. Miles Edmund succeeded his father as drawing master at King’s College in 1843.

Click here to read Cotman’s full bio on Wikipedia.

NOTE: Click on any image below for a bigger version (no new window will open).

NOTE: A black box like this one, means that there is an explanation text about today’s situation of the painting above it.
NOTE: Click on this photo icon anywhere below a painting to see a photo of what the area looks like today.

NOTE: A blue box like this one, means there is an explanation or a note.

1817 - John Cotman - The East End of Holy Trinity Church, Caen
1817 – John Cotman – The East End of Holy Trinity Church, Caen
John Cotman 1818 - Military School and Abbey Church of St-Stephen at Caen
1818 – John Cotman – Military School and Abbey Church of St-Stephen at Caen

TODAY: The Abbey church is still there, imposing as ever, and forms part of the city hall building (Hotel de Ville).

John Cotman 1818 - Old house in the Rue St-Jean at Caen
1818 – John Cotman – Old house in the Rue St-Jean at Caen

TODAY: Rue St-Jean in Caen is still full of shops.

John Cotman 1818 - The Church of St-Pierre
1818 – John Cotman – The Church of St-Pierre

TODAY: The Saint-Pierre church is still there in full glory, and is the most visible church (after the Abbey/City Hall one), and it’s located right next to the enormous fortress of Caen.

John Cotman 1819 - Chapel in the castle of Caen
1819 – John Cotman – Chapel in the castle of Caen

TODAY: The chapel is still there within the grounds of the enormous castle/fortress of Caen. The photo in the popup icon above was taken at almost the same angle and distance.

John Cotman 1821 - Sculpture in the Church of St-Peter
1821 – John Cotman – Sculpture in the Church of St-Peter
John Cotman 1822 - Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen East end Interior
1822 – John Cotman – Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen East end Interior
John Cotman 1822 -Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen West Front
1822 – John Cotman -Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen West Front
John Cotman 1822 -Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen. Capitals in the Choir
1822 – John Cotman – Abbey Church of the Holy Trinity, Caen. Capitals in the Choir
John Cotman 1822 -Church of St-Michel-de-Vaucelles, Caen North Porch
1822 – John Cotman -Church of St-Michel-de-Vaucelles, Caen North Porch

Douvres-la-Delivrande

Douvres-la-Delivrande lies to the North of Caen, Normandy.

1820 - John Sell Cotman - Douvres Church, Normandy
1820 – John Cotman – Douvres Church, Normandy

Fontaine-Henry

Fontaine-Henry is a small village to the North-West of the city of Caen.

1818 - John Sell Cotman - Church of Fontaine-Le-Henri, Near Caen
1818 – John Cotman – Church of Fontaine-Le-Henri, Near Caen

Hermanville-sur-Mer

Hermanville-sur-Mer lies close to Caen’s harbour town of Ouistreham, to the North of Caen.

1818 - John Sell Cotman - The Church of St-Pierre at Hermanville-sur-Mer, Normandy
1818 – John Cotman – The Church of St-Pierre at Hermanville-sur-Mer, Normandy

Ifs

Ifs is an immediate suburb of Caen to the South of the city.

1820 - John Sell Cotman - South-East View of the Church of Ifs, Near Caen, Normandy
1820 – John Cotman – South-East View of the Church of Ifs, Near Caen, Normandy

Ouistreham

Ouistreham is the harbor town of Caen, a place where you will find the ferry the UK arrives.

John Cotman 1820 - West-Front-of-the-Church of Oyestraham [Ouistreham], near Caen, Normandy
1820 – John Cotman – West-Front-of-the-Church of Oyestraham [Ouistreham], near Caen, Normandy

John Cotman painted in several places in France (a link “” to his works in a specific city will appear below when published) :

Artists featured here who painted in Caen (but not limited to) are (a link “” will be placed next to an artist name when their works are published. A “*” means that the artist did NOT work in Caen itself, instead worked in nearby villages and towns):

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