Description

Title: Portrait Painting Louisa Cooke With Mr Quiz In The Manner of George Romney C1802

Description: Portrait Painting Louisa Cooke With Mr Quiz In The Manner of George Romney C1802

Portrait of Louisa Cooke and "Mr. Quiz": Home Before Battle - A Regency Era Portrait with Trafalgar Provenance (circa 1802) ?? In The Manner of George Romney

Subject and Medium

Portrait of Louisa Cooke and her dog "Mr. Quiz"
A rare, intimate Regency era period portrait depicting Louisa Cooke in white empire-line dress with red slippers, shown outdoors skipping with her named companion dog, Mr. Quiz, held on a lead-an unusually personal domestic image tied to the Cooke family and the Trafalgar era.
British Provincial School, circa 1802 (in the manner of George Romney, 1734-1802)
Medium: Oil on panel
Panel size: 26.6 cm × 20.3 cm

Composition and Technique
A poised full-length portrait set within a softly atmospheric landscape. Louisa's luminous white dress is set against a darker ground, creating strong figure-to-background contrast, while Mr. Quiz stands alertly at her side-an emblem of loyalty and domestic steadiness . The composition is figure-led, typical of refined provincial portrait practice around 1800, with careful attention to costume detail and a direct, quietly expressive gaze. The work's restrained modelling and sincere, unforced finish align with the broader Regency portrait idiom associated with the Romney generation.
Louisa Cooke and Mr. Quiz ???
Mr. Quiz is not merely a charming accessory-he is documented by name in family correspondence. In 1805, Captain John Cooke writes to Louisa: "I hope Mr Quiz is very well… and that you don't intend to take him to Exeter with you. I think you should leave him at home to guard the House."
This transforms the portrait into a rare category: a historically anchored likeness with a verifiable personal narrative, where sitter and companion animal are preserved in both paint and letter.

Historical Significance ??
Louisa Cooke was the wife-and later widow-of Captain John Cooke, RN (1762-1805), commander of HMS Bellerophon, celebrated for its conspicuous role at the Battle of Trafalgar. Captain Cooke was killed during the action. HMS Bellerophon later gained lasting fame as the ship upon which Napoleon surrendered.
This portrait captures the other side of history-the home front-offering a quiet, emotionally resonant counterpoint to the epic narrative of naval warfare. For collectors drawn to objects with museum-grade story and documentary depth, it is an outstanding opportunity.

Artist
British Provincial School, circa 1802
In the manner of George Romney (1734-1802) - reflecting the elegant, human-scale portrait conventions associated with the Romney era, marked by refined domestic sentiment and restrained grace.

Signed
Not signed (as is typical for many provincial and itinerant British portraits of the period).

Framed ??
Recently fitted in a fitting gilt moulded Larson-Juhl traditional frame measuring 40.0 cm (H) × 33.3 cm (W) × 4.5 cm (D), glazed with Artglass AR 70 for enhanced clarity and long-term museum quality display protection.

Provenance
Louisa Cooke (Captain Cooke's widow); thence by descent until 1961/62, when acquired by a Private Collection; Herbert Evans and Co. Ltd., 139 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg (label verso); subsequently notable London auction house Sloane Street Auctions; curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD; exhibited Famous Lord Hill Museum ??.
Verso: chalk inventory/handling numbers "262" and faint "804."

Why You'll Love It
Named, documented dog: Mr. Quiz appears in an 1805 letter-rare, memorable, and provenance-rich ???
Trafalgar connection: associated with Captain John Cooke, RN and HMS Bellerophon ??
"Home Before Battle" narrative: a domestic portrait carrying the emotional shadow of a defining naval victory ??
Provenance-led confidence: descent history, international handling, label evidence, and historic chalk numbers
Professional conservation completed: cleaned and restored with formal report ?
Display-ready presentation: Larson-Juhl gilt frame plus Artglass AR 70 protective glazing

Condition Report ?
Professionally cleaned and restored by a Fine Art Conservator who is based at Williamson Ary Galley and Museum. ?.
Treatment included: Removal of surface dirt (Tri-ammonium citrate, 5% in water)
Removal of varnish layer (acetone applied through Stoddard's solvent)
Filling of losses and careful leveling
Retouching with stable conservation materials
Re-varnishing using conservation-grade synthetic resin systems
The work retains expected age characteristics for an early 19th-century oil on panel, now presenting with improved clarity, tonal unity, and excellent legibility.

Reserve: $11,200.00

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Condition

Used

Buyer's Premium

20%

Portrait Painting Louisa Cooke With Mr Quiz In The Manner of George Romney C1802

Name: Portrait Painting Louisa Cooke With Mr Quiz In The Manner of George Romney C1802
SKU: 235701540
Price: 5500 USD
Availability: InStock