Edmund Cotterill (1794 –1860) was a British sculptor and the head of Garrard's design department, where he established the company's reputation for producing elaborate sculptural groups and centerpieces in bronze and silver.[1] Cotterill's work was highly regarded by critics and the public, as he excelled not only in modeling figures but also animals and the interaction of the group as a whole.[2]
Edmund Mingay Cotterill | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 September 1794 London, England |
| Died | 1860 |
| Occupation(s) | Sculptor, modeller, designer |
| Employer | Garrard & Co. |
| Known for | Elaborate sculptural groups and centrepieces in bronze and silver, with equestrian, Moorish or Arab themes |
Early life and career edit
Cotterill attended the Royal Academy Schools in 1820 and exhibited there from 1822 to 1858, the British Institution from 1832 to 1855, and the Suffolk Street Galleries from 1829 to 1836. According to the Illustrated London News, Cotterill stood "at the head of the class of artists who model for silversmiths", and his annual exhibitions at Garrard earned the company a level of celebrity that no other could match.[3]
Career at Garrard edit
Cotterill worked for Garrard from 1833 until his death and was responsible for a number of ambitious sculptural groups, including the Emperor's Plate, which was produced each year from 1849 to 1852. Many of his designs incorporated horses, which he excelled at modeling, and were often inspired by Moorish or Arab equestrian themes.[4]
During this time Garrard produced magnificent sculptures, centerpieces and well-known trophies of sporting events: Ascot, Eglinton Trophy, Doncaster, Goodwood Cups and The America's Cup, 1848[5]
Cotterill's trophies were highly regarded by critics and the public, and his sculptural groups at the Great Exhibition of 1851 were considered one of the sections not to be missed. Garrard was awarded a prize for a piece by Cotterill at the exhibition[4]
Legacy edit
In 1840, Prince Albert employed Cotterill to make a model of his greyhound Eos, which was later used as a centerpiece produced in 1842/3 and exhibited at the Annual Exhibition of British Manufacturies, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum.[6][7]
Cotterill's legacy continues to live on through his work, which is highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts.[citation needed] Cotterill was a master of modeling figures and animals, and his intricate sculptural groups made him a significant figure in the world of British sculpture.[8][better source needed]
Exhibitions edit
- Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852[9]
- Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-1822 - 1858[10] Exhibited four times from 1851 (15 times prior to that), usually one or two works per year, about 28 works in all.
- Exhibited at Garrard, where he created a number of ambitious sculptural groups. These were highly regarded by critics and the public, as they were considered to be among the highlights of the Great Exhibition of 1851.[11]
Recognition edit
Awarded the Freedom of the City of London in 1807.[2]
References edit
- ^ Yates, Edmund. (1884). Edmund Yates: His Recollections and Experiences. United Kingdom: R. Bentley & son.
- ^ a b "Edmund Cotterill", Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011, accessed 12 Mar 2023.
- ^ J. Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, London, 1977, p. 96
- ^ a b G. Campbell, The Grove Encyclopaedia of Decorative Arts, Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 409
- ^ A Collection of the Public General Statutes, Passed in the Forty-fifth Year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third: Being the Third Session of the Second Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. (1805). United Kingdom: G. Eyre and A. Strahan, printers to the King.
- ^ Victoria & Albert: Art & Love. (2010). United Kingdom: Royal Collection.
- ^ Palliser, Bury. A History of Lace. United Kingdom: Sampson, Low, Son and Marston, 1869.
- ^ Art-Union: A Monthly Journal of the Fine Arts. (1841). United Kingdom: Virtue and Company.
- ^ The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
- ^ The Royal Academy of Arts: a complete dictionary of contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904. Vol. 2: Carroll to Dyer 1905, pp. 177–78
- ^ The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts: Two-volume Set. (2006). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, USA.