William 3rd Viscount Courtenay

Richard Cosway (1742 - 1821)

Royal Albert Memorial Museum

circa 1793

William Courtenay inherited the title of 3rd Viscount Courtenay of Powderham and later revived the title of Earl of Devon for the Courtenay family. His relationship with William Beckford of Fonthill caused a nationwide scandal and forced Beckford to depart on an extended Grand Tour of Europe. Courtenay was a significant patron of the arts and notorious for his extravagance. He was responsible for the addition of the Music Room in Powderham Castle near Exeter and was one of Cosway's most important patrons. The castle is still owned by the Courtenay family today. The museum had been searching for an important miniature by Cosway of a sitter with close connections to Devon and Exeter for some time.

• Medium: watercolour on ivory
• Dimensions: height: 7.2cm
• Art Fund Grant: £7000 ( Total: £24,500)
• ArtFunded in: 2010
• Vendor: Through Philip Mould

Provenance

? collection of Edward Joseph, 1889; ? collection of Frank Woodroffe; John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), New York; Christie's, 1935; ? Frank Partridge; Christie's, 1974; private collection; Christie's, 2002; private collection.

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