Why the British monarch’s court artist painted only by candlelight: Samuel Cooper

Samuel Cooper is an English artist and the best miniature master of his time, who became famous not only for his worthy court service to king Charles II, but also for his unusual technique. Samuel Cooper used it… a candle for writing your paintings.
About the artist
There is not much biographical information about the artist, but it is known that Samuel Cooper (1609 -1672) was trained by his uncle, the miniaturist John Hoskins the Elder.He was a talented man: in addition to his artistic skills, Cooper was an excellent musician, played the lute well, and was also reputed to be a good linguist, speaking fluent French. Continue reading →