Inventing American Stories, 1765–1830

John Singleton Copley (American, 1738–1815)
Paul Revere, 1768
Oil on canvas; 35 1/8 x 28 1/2 in. (89.2 x 72.4 cm)
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Gift of Joseph W. Revere, William B. Revere, and Edward H. R. Revere (30.781)
Photograph © 2009 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Copley's inspired portrait of his friend and colleague abides by the rules of the game for colonial portraiture—it is an accurate, intricate, and apparently truthful likeness—even as it presents an encoded story. Copley approached each of his sitters as a type and was able to distinguish each one legibly, much like a character in a play or a novel. The obvious clues to Revere's artistic identity are his open-collared shirt, lack of a coat, contemplative hand-to-chin pose, teapot lacking an inscription, and tools of the silversmith's trade. The embedded narrative is associated with the teapot (Revere actually crafted only one in 1768), as his clients had boycotted tea. With a complicit sitter, Copley created a portrait that reaches beyond biography—the usual province of portraiture—and conveys a message that would have been understood and appreciated by those who saw the painting.