Cotman, John Sell (1782-1842) , English painter of watercolor landscapes of the Norwich school. Influenced by the watercolors of Thomas Girtin, Cotman went on sketching tours between 1800 and 1810, taking his inspiration from the Yorkshire and Norfolk countryside. His masterpieces include his views of the Greta River, such as Greta Bridge (1805, British Museum, London).

Cotman's original style, which defines scenes solely by patches of flat washes of harmonious colors, without line or modeling, has an abstract geometric quality that was ahead of its time. Later Cotman did architectural etchings of England and Normandy (Normandie).