Robert Cottingham (American, b.1935) is an American Photorealist painter. The presence of Americana characterizes the vast majority of Cottingham’s work. His works often reflect a proficient understanding of the interplay between light and perspective. In this way, Cottingham assigns a prominence to illumination that serves to underscore details of the ordinary that normally exist unnoticed. He studied at the Pratt Institute, and received a BFA in 1963. His work has been exhibited in France and across the United States, especially in Southern California, Connecticut, and New York. In 1998, a retrospective of his work was showcased at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.