Catherine Rachel da Costa (1679–1756), néeMendes, was an English miniaturist. She grew up in London and studied painting under Bernard Lens III. Most of her surviving portraits are of family and friends, and there is also a picture of Mary Queen of Scots. Da Costa was the first female Anglo-Jewish artist of note. In her personal life, she married Moses da Costa and had six children.
Commemorative plaque in Highgate (with date of birth as 1678, not 1679)
Catherine Rachel Mendes was the eldest daughter of Fernando and Isabel Mendes, Portuguese Jews who had fled the Spanish Inquisition and married in London.[1][2] Her father was doctor to both King Charles II and Queen consort Catherine of Braganza, having converted to Roman Catholicism. Catherine Mendes was baptized at Somerset House (but given the Jewish name of Rachel) and Catherine of Braganza became her godmother.[1]
The family lived between Budge Row in the City of London and Highgate House (later known as Cromwell House), sharing the houses with Fernando Mendes' cousin Alvaro da Costa and raising the children as Jews. On 13 August 1698, Catherine Mendes married da Costa's son Moses da Costa in a synagogue.[1] Moses da Costa was a wealthy merchant and together with him, Catherine da Costa had six children.[3]
Careeredit
Catherine da Costa was taught to paint miniature portraits by Bernard Lens III and most of her surviving works are portraits of friends and family.[1][4] These include a miniature of her ten year-old son Abraham da Costa which is now owned by the Jewish Museum. However, a full-length watercolour portrait of her father hangs in the Bevis Marks Synagogue and da Costa also painted the Imaginary Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), which hangs at Ham House in Surrey.[5][6][7]
Da Costa was well-regarded as a painter and also impressed Voltaire with her wit when he visited London in the mid-1720s.[1][8] He recorded an exchangea between her and a priest in his notebooks:
Madame Acosta [sic] said in my presence to a cleric hoping to convert her to Christianity:
Catherina da Costa died on 11 December 1756 and was buried in the Mile End Jewish cemetery. Her son Abraham inherited her artworks and some are now owned by the Joods Historisch Museum in Amsterdam. She was the first female Anglo-Jewish artist of note.[1]
A book called Smitten by Catherine was published in 2016 about her life and work.[9]
^a "Madame Acosta dit en ma presence a un abbé qui vouloit la faire chrêtienne. Votre Dieu, est il né juif? Ouy. Est il mort juif? Ouy. Eh bien soyez donc juif".[1]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefgh"Costa [née Mendes], Catherine [Rachel] da". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/72024. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^"Mendes, Fernando Moses". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18553. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^"Costa, Anthony Moses da". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/39728. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^Wieseman, Marjorie E. (2018). "Bernard Lens's Miniatures for the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough". Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art. 10 (2). doi:10.5092/jhna.2018.10.2.3. from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^Adler, Cyrus; Singer, Isidore (1964). The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times, Volume 4. Ktav. p. 289.
^"Costa, Catharina da". Benezit Dictionary of Artists. 31 October 2011. doi:10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.B00042952.
^"Lens [Laus] family". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/66537. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ abHemming, T. D.; Freeman, E.; Freeman, Ted; Meakin, David (1994). The Secular City: Studies in the Enlightenment : Presented to Haydn Mason. University of Exeter. p. 47. ISBN978-0-85989-416-6. from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
^Gibbs, Stephanie (6 March 2017). "Book review: 'Smitten by Catherine'". Jewish Journal. from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
Further readingedit
Lang, Andrew (1906). "Portraits and Jewels of Mary Stuart". The Scottish Historical Review. 3 (11): 274–300. ISSN 0036-9241.
Rubens, Alfred (1953). "Francis Town of Bond Street (1738–1826) and his family: With Further Notes on Early Anglo-Jewish Artists". Transactions (Jewish Historical Society of England). 18: 89–111. ISSN 2047-2331.
January 01, 1970
catherine, costa, confused, with, kitty, costa, catherine, rachel, costa, 1679, 1756, née, mendes, english, miniaturist, grew, london, studied, painting, under, bernard, lens, most, surviving, portraits, family, friends, there, also, picture, mary, queen, scot. Not to be confused with Kitty da Costa Catherine Rachel da Costa 1679 1756 nee Mendes was an English miniaturist She grew up in London and studied painting under Bernard Lens III Most of her surviving portraits are of family and friends and there is also a picture of Mary Queen of Scots Da Costa was the first female Anglo Jewish artist of note In her personal life she married Moses da Costa and had six children Catherine da CostaSelf portrait attributed to Catherine da CostaBornCatherine Rachel Mendes1679London EnglandDied1756 aged 76 77 London EnglandNationalityEnglishOther namesCatharina da Costa Catherine Rachel da CostaOccupationMiniaturist Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death and legacy 4 Gallery 5 Notes 6 References 7 Further readingEarly life edit nbsp Commemorative plaque in Highgate with date of birth as 1678 not 1679 Catherine Rachel Mendes was the eldest daughter of Fernando and Isabel Mendes Portuguese Jews who had fled the Spanish Inquisition and married in London 1 2 Her father was doctor to both King Charles II and Queen consort Catherine of Braganza having converted to Roman Catholicism Catherine Mendes was baptized at Somerset House but given the Jewish name of Rachel and Catherine of Braganza became her godmother 1 The family lived between Budge Row in the City of London and Highgate House later known as Cromwell House sharing the houses with Fernando Mendes cousin Alvaro da Costa and raising the children as Jews On 13 August 1698 Catherine Mendes married da Costa s son Moses da Costa in a synagogue 1 Moses da Costa was a wealthy merchant and together with him Catherine da Costa had six children 3 Career editCatherine da Costa was taught to paint miniature portraits by Bernard Lens III and most of her surviving works are portraits of friends and family 1 4 These include a miniature of her ten year old son Abraham da Costa which is now owned by the Jewish Museum However a full length watercolour portrait of her father hangs in the Bevis Marks Synagogue and da Costa also painted the Imaginary Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots 1542 1587 which hangs at Ham House in Surrey 5 6 7 Da Costa was well regarded as a painter and also impressed Voltaire with her wit when he visited London in the mid 1720s 1 8 He recorded an exchangea between her and a priest in his notebooks Madame Acosta sic said in my presence to a cleric hoping to convert her to Christianity Was your God born Jewish Yes Did he die Jewish Yes Well then become Jewish Voltaire Notebooks page 26 1 8 Death and legacy editCatherina da Costa died on 11 December 1756 and was buried in the Mile End Jewish cemetery Her son Abraham inherited her artworks and some are now owned by the Joods Historisch Museum in Amsterdam She was the first female Anglo Jewish artist of note 1 A book called Smitten by Catherine was published in 2016 about her life and work 9 Gallery edit nbsp Allegory of summer 1713 nbsp The Penitent Magdalene 1714 nbsp Portrait of Alvaro Lopes Suasso 1696 1751 1718 Joods Historisch Museum Notes edit a Madame Acosta dit en ma presence a un abbe qui vouloit la faire chretienne Votre Dieu est il ne juif Ouy Est il mort juif Ouy Eh bien soyez donc juif 1 References edit a b c d e f g h Costa nee Mendes Catherine Rachel da Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 72024 Subscription or UK public library membership required Mendes Fernando Moses Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 18553 Subscription or UK public library membership required Costa Anthony Moses da Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 39728 Subscription or UK public library membership required Wieseman Marjorie E 2018 Bernard Lens s Miniatures for the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough Journal of Historians of Netherlandish Art 10 2 doi 10 5092 jhna 2018 10 2 3 Archived from the original on 22 August 2020 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Adler Cyrus Singer Isidore 1964 The Jewish Encyclopedia A Descriptive Record of the History Religion Literature and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times Volume 4 Ktav p 289 Costa Catharina da Benezit Dictionary of Artists 31 October 2011 doi 10 1093 benz 9780199773787 article B00042952 Lens Laus family Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 66537 Subscription or UK public library membership required a b Hemming T D Freeman E Freeman Ted Meakin David 1994 The Secular City Studies in the Enlightenment Presented to Haydn Mason University of Exeter p 47 ISBN 978 0 85989 416 6 Archived from the original on 22 August 2020 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Gibbs Stephanie 6 March 2017 Book review Smitten by Catherine Jewish Journal Archived from the original on 22 August 2020 Retrieved 22 August 2020 Further reading editLang Andrew 1906 Portraits and Jewels of Mary Stuart The Scottish Historical Review 3 11 274 300 ISSN 0036 9241 Rubens Alfred 1953 Francis Town of Bond Street 1738 1826 and his family With Further Notes on Early Anglo Jewish Artists Transactions Jewish Historical Society of England 18 89 111 ISSN 2047 2331 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Catherine da Costa amp oldid 1217857209, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
