Captain George K. H. Coussmaker (1759–1801)1782
Captain George Coussmaker leans against a tree with his legs casually crossed, his red coat glowing against the dark woodland, while his horse lowers its head behind him. More about this work
About this work
Captain George Coussmaker leans against a tree with his legs casually crossed, his red coat glowing against the dark woodland, while his horse lowers its head behind him. Reynolds, the first president of the Royal Academy, gave the young officer the relaxed elegance of a gentleman at ease rather than the stiff bearing of a soldier, a pose that draws on the grand tradition of Van Dyck. Records of the sittings suggest that Coussmaker posed many times, and the horse had sessions of its own.
Written by Ochre Editions.
How it was made
- Oil paint
- Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.
Joshua Reynolds
English, 1723–1792 · Born in Plympton; died in London.
Reynolds trained in London under Thomas Hudson, then spent two years in Italy studying the old masters, an experience that shaped his ambition to raise portraiture to the dignity of history painting. He became the leading portraitist of Georgian society and, in 1768, the first President of the Royal Academy. His Discourses to its students set out the principles of the Grand Manner and remained influential long after his death.
Written by Ochre Editions.
Rights and the museum’s record
Public domain. The Met has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.
- Object number
- 20.155.3
- Credit
- Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Type
- Paintings
- Department
- European Paintings
- Licence
- CC0 1.0 Universal
- Museum record
- See it on the museum’s site
