John Singleton Copley
1738–1815 · American/British · 30 artworks
NeoclassicismDetailed realismPrecise rendering of fabricsPsychological portraitureDramatic lightingHistorical narrative
artist bio
John Singleton Copley was a prominent American and British painter, celebrated for his portraits that captured the likeness and status of colonial society. He later achieved success in England with history paintings, blending American realism with European Neoclassical ideals.
what you'll learn
Studying Copley's work allows students to understand the transition from colonial American portraiture to European Neoclassicism, focusing on detailed realism and historical narrative. Students can learn about composition, rendering of textures, and the use of light to convey character and social status.
related: Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Gainsborough
30 artworks
Clark Gayton, Admiral of the White
1779
difficulty
The Gore Children
1755
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Governor John Wentworth
difficulty
Gulian Verplanck
1771
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Isaac Smith
1769
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Jeremiah Lee
1769
difficulty
Mrs. John Winthrop (Hannah Fayerweather)
1773
difficulty
Epes Sargent
difficulty
Mr.and Mrs.Isaac Winslow
1773
difficulty
Ezekiel Goldthwait
1771
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Hugh Hall
1758
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Mrs.Richard Skinner
1772
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Colonel John Montresor
1771
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Sylvester Gardiner
1772
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Mrs.Daniel Denison Rogers
1784
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Portrait of Mrs. George Turner
1767
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Woodbury Langdon
1767
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Mrs.Jeremiah Lee (Martha Swett)
1769
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Mrs.Clark Gayton
1779
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Portrait of a Gentleman
1783
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William Vassall and His Son Leonard
1772
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Self-portrait
1769
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Epes Sargent II
1764
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Theodore Atkinson Jr
1758
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Mrs. Isaac Smith
1769
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Charles Pelham
1754
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Nathaniel Sparhawk
1764
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Mr.and Mrs. Ralph Izard
1775
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Richard Heber
1782
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Mr.and Mrs.Thomas Mifflin
1773
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