John Singleton Copley | Explore & Learn | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) enjoyed a triumphant career in America before his departure for England in 1774. his respect for exacting craftmanship and his familiarity with the history of the visual arts made him the portraitist of choice in America for affluent New Englanders and New Yorkers during the two decades preceding the American Revolution. He appealed to the taste and aspirations of his sitters by depicting them in costumes made of expensive fabrics and surrounded by high style furniture. Copley provided his sitters with individualized likenesses that were psychologically penetrating and at the same time emphasized wealth and social position.
Here is a selection of paintings from the Metropolitan Museum's collection that were featured in the exhibition "John Singleton Copley in America." Click on an image below to learn more.

	The Return of Neptune ca. 1754		Mrs. Edward Green (Mary Storer) 1765
	Ebenezer Storer ca. 1767–69		Mrs. Ebenezer Storer (Mary Edwards) ca. 1767–69
	Daniel Crommelin Verplanck 1771		Mrs. John Winthrop (Hannah Fayerweather) 1773

Photograph Credits