The Life of Catherine da Costa
Catherine Rachel da Costa, born Mendes, was an English miniaturist. The daughter of Fernando and Isabel Mendes, she grew up in London. Her father, a physician to King Charles II and Queen Catherine of Braganza, had fled the Spanish Inquisition. While her father converted to Roman Catholicism, Catherine was raised as a Jew. She studied the art of painting miniature portraits under Bernard Lens III.
In 1698, she married Moses da Costa, a wealthy merchant, in a synagogue. Together they had six children. Da Costa was noted as the first female Anglo-Jewish artist of significance. Her wit was famously recorded by Voltaire during his visit to London in the mid-1720s.
Artistic Works and Legacy
The surviving works of Catherine da Costa primarily consist of portraits of her friends and family. Notable pieces include:
- A miniature portrait of her ten-year-old son, Abraham da Costa, held by the Jewish Museum.
- A full-length watercolour portrait of her father, located in the Bevis Marks Synagogue.
- An Imaginary Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, which hangs at Ham House in Surrey.
Following her death, her son Abraham inherited her artworks. Some of these pieces are now part of the collection at the Joods Historisch Museum in Amsterdam.
Q&A
Catherine da Costa의 출생지와 출생 연도는 어떻게 되나요?
Catherine da Costa은(는) 1679년 London에서 태어났습니다.
Catherine da Costa의 작품들은 어떤 분위기를 담고 있나요?
Catherine da Costa의 무드 룸에서는 작가의 작품들을 분위기별로 만나보실 수 있습니다.
Catherine da Costa 작가의 작품을 감상할 수 있는 가상 박물관에 방문할 수 있나요?
Catherine da Costa의 3D 갤러리는 작가의 작품들을 가상 3D 갤러리로 감상할 수 있는 페이지입니다.
주제별로 분류된 Catherine da Costa의 작품들은 어디에서 확인할 수 있나요?
Catherine da Costa의 작품은 작가의 주제별 작품 모음 페이지에서 주제별로 찾아보실 수 있습니다.
