George Frederick Cooke
- Artist: Anthony Cardon
- Artist: John Cawthorn
- Artist: Samuel De Wilde
- Date: 1806
- Medium: stipple
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: George Frederick Cooke
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In this stippled portrait you see the face of George Frederick Cooke, an actor who lived from 1756 to 1811. The artist is Anthony Cardon, and it was published by John Cawthorn in October of 1806 on a print after Samuel De Wilde’s design. Notice how the stippling technique gives his features a soft texture, especially around the eyes and mouth. Cooke wears a simple period costume, with a dark coat and a hat, suggesting a modest stage presence. The finished image is a clear example of early nineteenth‑century portraiture in England, combining a painter’s likeness with a print publisher’s distribution.
See it in person
George Frederick Cooke is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
