Mrs. Benjamin Hallowell

John Singleton Copley prints bring the faces of colonial America and the drama of eighteenth-century history painting into your home. Copley was the finest portrait painter in colonial Boston, painting merchants, patriots and their families with startling realism, before moving to London, where his Watson and the Shark caused a sensation. Our collection of fine art prints includes his American and English portraits and studies for his great history paintings.

About John Singleton Copley

John Singleton Copley was born in Boston on 3 July 1738 to Anglo-Irish parents; his mother kept a tobacco shop on Long Wharf. In 1748 she married Peter Pelham, an engraver and portrait painter, and the boy grew up around art. His son later wrote that Copley was entirely self-taught. By about fourteen he was painting portraits, and he became a pioneer of pastel in America.

He soon became the leading portraitist of Boston's wealthy families. In 1766 his A Boy with a Flying Squirrel, a portrait of his half-brother Henry Pelham, was exhibited in London and established his reputation in England.

In 1774 Copley left for England and never returned to America. He enjoyed great success in London as a portraitist for two decades and painted large history paintings that were bold for showing modern events in modern dress, such as Watson and the Shark and The Death of the Earl of Chatham. His son became Lord Chancellor as Lord Lyndhurst. Copley died in London on 9 September 1815.

Style and Subjects

Copley's American portraits are strikingly real: sitters look straight out at us, surrounded by the objects of their lives, with polished tables reflecting their hands and every texture of silk, wood and silver carefully painted. Strong light and dark backgrounds give them a powerful presence.

In England his style became looser and grander, influenced by British portraiture. His history paintings are full of action and drama, built from many careful studies of figures and drapery.

Famous Works

• A Boy with a Flying Squirrel (Henry Pelham) (1765), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. His half-brother with a pet squirrel, the picture that made his name in London.
• Paul Revere (1768), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The silversmith and patriot holding a teapot he made.
• General Thomas Gage (1768), Yale Center for British Art. The British commander in North America.
• Watson and the Shark (1778), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A boy attacked by a shark in Havana harbour as sailors try to save him.
• The Death of the Earl of Chatham (1779–1781), Tate, London. The statesman collapsing in the House of Lords.
• The Death of Major Peirson (1783), Tate, London. A young officer killed defending Jersey from French invasion.
• John Adams (1783), Harvard Art Museums. The future American president in a full-length portrait.

Decorating with Copley Prints

Copley's colonial portraits suit traditional and early American interiors: a dining room, library or hallway with wood panelling, deep colours and antique furniture. A portrait such as Mrs. John Winthrop makes a handsome focal point in a gilt frame.

His history paintings, such as Watson and the Shark, are dramatic conversation pieces for a study or den, and his figure studies make an interesting group for anyone interested in how great paintings are made.

FAQ

Who was John Singleton Copley?

John Singleton Copley was an American-born painter who lived from 1738 to 1815. He was the leading portraitist of colonial Boston and later a successful painter in London.

What is John Singleton Copley's most famous painting?

Watson and the Shark (1778) is his most famous history painting. His portraits A Boy with a Flying Squirrel and Paul Revere are among the best-known American paintings.

Why did Copley move to England?

He left Boston in 1774, on the eve of the American Revolution, and never returned. In London he hoped to succeed as a history painter as well as a portraitist.

Was Copley self-taught?

Largely, yes. His son wrote that he was entirely self-taught, though his stepfather Peter Pelham, an engraver and portrait painter, introduced him to art.

Where can I see Copley's paintings?

Major works are in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate in London and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Related Artists

• Thomas Gainsborough: leading British portraitist of the same era
• Sir Joshua Reynolds: President of the Royal Academy in his London years
• Gilbert Stuart: American portraitist of the next generation who also worked in London