Import Gilt Framed Portrait Oil Painting Louis Cooke With Her Dog Mr Quiz C1802

Important Early 19th century portrait masterpiece oil painting of Louisa Cooke Skipping with her dog “Mr. Quiz” C1802
British Provincial School, in the manner of George Romney (1734–1802)
Subject and Medium
This rare and intimate Regency-period portrait depicts Louisa Cooke outdoors with her dog, “Mr. Quiz.” Dressed in a white empire-line gown with red slippers, she is shown in an unusually personal domestic moment—skipping lightly while her named companion stands alert at her side on a lead. The painting offers a refined “home front” perspective, closely tied to the Cooke family and the world of Trafalgar.
Date: circa 1802
School: British Provincial School (in the manner of George Romney)
Medium: Oil on panel
Panel size: 26.6 cm × 20.3 cm
Composition and Technique
A poised full-length figure is set within a softly atmospheric landscape. Louisa’s luminous dress is deliberately placed against a darker ground, creating strong figure-to-background contrast and drawing attention to costume detail. The composition is figure-led, typical of refined provincial portrait practice around 1800, with restrained modelling and a sincere, unforced finish. The sitter’s direct, quietly expressive gaze and the work’s gentle handling align with the broader portrait idiom associated with the Romney generation.
Mr. Quiz is treated as more than a charming accessory. Painted attentively at Louisa’s side, he acts as an emblem of loyalty and domestic steadiness, reinforcing the portrait’s intimate character.
Louisa Cooke and “Mr. Quiz” in Correspondence
The portrait is strengthened by an unusual level of documentary specificity: Mr. Quiz is recorded 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 places the painting in a rare category—an historically anchored likeness where sitter and companion animal are preserved in both paint and letter, giving the work a verifiable personal narrative.
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 enduring historical fame as the ship associated with Napoleon’s surrender.
Seen in that context, the portrait offers a compelling counterpoint to naval heroics: it captures private life before war’s outcome is known, and preserves the domestic world behind public history. For collectors seeking works with strong narrative, documentary depth, and period authenticity, it presents an exceptional opportunity.
Artist
British Provincial School, circa 1802
In the manner of George Romney (1734–1802), reflecting the era’s elegant portrait conventions: restrained grace, human scale, and refined domestic sentiment.
Signature
Not signed, as is typical for many provincial and itinerant British portraits of the period.
Framing
Recently fitted in a 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 & Co. Ltd., 139 Commissioner Street, Johannesburg (label verso); subsequently Sloane Street Auctions (London); curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD; exhibited Famous Lord Hill Museum.
Verso: chalk inventory/handling numbers “262” and faint “804.”
Why This Work Stands Out
Mr. Quiz is documented by name in an 1805 letter, adding rare and memorable personal specificity.
Strong Trafalgar-era association through Captain John Cooke and HMS Bellerophon.
A distinctive “before the battle” narrative, offering a domestic counterpoint to major naval history.
Provenance supported by descent history, international handling, label evidence, and period chalk numbers.
Professional conservation completed, with formal report.
Display-ready presentation with museum-grade protective glazing.
Condition Report
Professionally cleaned and restored by a Fine Art Conservator based at Williamson Art Gallery & Museum. Treatment included removal of surface dirt (Tri-ammonium citrate, 5% in water), removal of varnish layer (acetone applied through Stoddard’s solvent), filling and levelling of losses, retouching with stable conservation materials, and 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.
Worldwide Shipping
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