John Greenleaf
While there has never been any doubt of Copley’s innate talent, these portraits give new meaning to the word “precocious.” At about the age of fifteen, with no formal training and very little opportunity to have studied acclaimed works of art, Copley not only could paint competently but also knew how to serve his patrons best: with accurate but richly embellished likenesses. These handsome siblings (see also 2002.612), offspring of John and Priscilla Brown Greenleaf of Boston, wear just the sort of elaborate, inventive costumes that became the artist’s forte. Copley’s source for John’s exotic cap and pose was a print after Sir Godfrey Kneller’s portrait of Lord Bury as a child.
Artwork Details
- Title: John Greenleaf
- Artist: John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London)
- Date: 1753–54
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 21 1/2 x 17 3/4 in. (54.6 x 45.1 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Stuart and Rhoda Holzer, 2002
- Object Number: 2002.611
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Multiple artists/makers
1810
Multiple artists/makers
1810
John Singleton Copley
1785–86
John Singleton Copley
1782
John Singleton Copley
1785–86
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