Do you think you may own a painting by John Russell?

Get a Russell Certificate of Authenticity for your painting (COA) for your Russell drawing.

For all your Russell artworks you need a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) in order to sell, to insure or to donate for a tax deduction.

Getting a Russell Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is easy. Just send us photos and dimensions and tell us what you know about the origin or history of your Russell painting or drawing.

If you want to sell your Russell painting or drawing use our selling services. We offer Russell selling help, selling advice, private treaty sales and full brokerage.

We have been authenticating Russell and issuing certificates of authenticity since 2002. We are recognized Russell experts and Russell certified appraisers. We issue COAs and appraisals for all Russell artworks.

Our Russell paintings and drawings authentications are accepted and respected worldwide.

Each COA is backed by in-depth research and analysis authentication reports.

The Russell certificates of authenticity we issue are based on solid, reliable and fully referenced art investigations, authentication research, analytical work and forensic studies.

We are available to examine your Russell painting or drawing anywhere in the world.

You will generally receive your certificates of authenticity and authentication report within two weeks. Some complicated cases with difficult to research Russell paintings or drawings take longer.

Our clients include Russell collectors, investors, tax authorities, insurance adjusters, appraisers, valuers, auctioneers, Federal agencies and many law firms.

We perform John Russell art authentication, appraisal, certificates of authenticity (COA), analysis, research, scientific tests, full art authentications. We will help you sell your John Russell or we will sell it for you.

John Russell was an English painter renowned for his portrait work in oils and pastels, and as a writer and teacher of painting techniques. Born in Guildford, Surrey, he trained under the tutelage of Francis Cotes RA, one of the pioneers of English pastel painting, and – like Cotes – became an admirer of the pastel drawings of Rosalba Carriera.

Russell set up his own studio in 1767. Although nominally based in London, Russell traveled extensively around Britain, undertaking portraits.

His pastels technique prompted him to write Elements of Painting with Crayons, published in 1772, by which time he had won premiums for his drawings from the Society of Arts in 1759 and 1760 and entered the Royal Academy school of art in 1770, winning its gold medal for figure drawing the same year. He exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1768 and exhibited 330 works at the Academy from 1769 until his death, being elected a full Academician in 1788.

In 1789, Russell was commissioned to paint a portrait of the royal physician Francis Willis. The results obviously pleased the monarch as, in 1790, Russell was appointed Crayon [pastel] Painter to King George III, Queen Charlotte, the Prince of Wales (both of whom Russell also painted) and the Duke of York. With such royal patronage, he developed a large and fashionable clientele.

His portraits were engraved by Collyer, Turner, Heath, Dean, Bartolozzi, Trotter and other prominent engravers. A man of deep religious beliefs (a devout follower of George Whitefield), Russell was also interested in astronomy (he was a friend of Sir William Herschel) and in mathematics, inventing a scientific apparatus used to exhibit an accurate map of the moon he painted in 1795.

Unfortunately, he was troubled by ill-health for much of his life and in 1803, became almost deaf following a bout of cholera. He died in Hull in 1806 after contracting typhus. His son, William Russell (1780-1870) was also a successful painter.

Still wondering about a British painting in your family collection? Contact us…it could be by John Russell.