Diana Wilson Collection of Richard and Maria Cosway Materials

This collection contains research materials on English portrait painter Richard Cosway (1742-1821) and his wife, English-Italian artist Maria Cosway (1760-1838), compiled by art historian Diana G. Wilson (1932-1988) for her doctoral dissertation (never completed) at the University of California, Los Angeles, from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s. The papers include Wilson's correspondence, research files and notes, dissertation drafts, and reproductions of artwork and manuscripts (including photocopies, photographs, negatives, slides, and microfilm). The materials expand from Wilson's research and development of a dissertation initially proposed as: "Richard Cosway: An investigation of the development of the role of the artist and the concept of portraiture in England, 1760-1820," but the collection includes materials about the lives and art of both Richard and Maria Cosway. Note: all materials dating from the 18th and 19th centuries are reproductions of originals.

The research notes and photocopies reflect Wilson's efforts to develop lists of the Cosways' art and determine holdings within specific museums and libraries. There are typescript and handwritten drafts of portions of Wilson's dissertation (Box 2) and card files with research and bibliographic notes (Boxes 3-5). Wilson's correspondence includes drafts of her letters, chiefly requesting information and research materials, and responses from art historians, museum staff, scholars (Box 6). There are photocopies of secondary sources (both from monographs and periodicals) chiefly about the Cosways (Box 7), as well as miscellaneous handwritten lists and photocopied inventories of Cosway artwork and property (Box 8).

The collection does include photocopies of original manuscripts including the handwritten 1820 inventory of the Cosway property (Box 8, Folders 6-7) and correspondence and manuscripts of the Cosways (chiefly related to Maria Cosway) (Box 9), as well as a microfilm reel (2 copies) that includes correspondence to and from Cosway in Italian, French, and English, as well as an 1828 diary (Box 11).

There are photocopies and some prints of images of Cosway artwork, as well as proof sheets, film negatives, and some photographs of artwork chiefly photographed by Diana Wilson, including from collection at the Fondazione Cosway Maria, Lodi (Box 10). There are also 248 color slides both of Cosway art and unrelated art images presumably used in various presentations (Box 12).

Within the collection, there is some discrepancy and overlap between the series. For example, while there is a series "Book and Article photocopies," additional article reproductions can be found in other series. Note: in the contents list, Wilson's name is often abbreviated as "DGW."