Mrs. Edward Green (Mary Storer), 1765
John Singleton Copley (American, 1738–1815)
Oil on canvas
Artist Biography
Technical Glossary
John Singleton Copley (American, 1738–1815)
Oil on canvas
23 7/8 x 17 5/8 in. (60.6 x 44.8 cm)
Charles B. Curtis Fund, 1908 (08.1b)
Copley produced at least fifty-five pastel portraits before he left America in 1774. The artist and his affluent sitters would have been aware of the fashionability of pastels in Europe, and Copley, who worked rather painstakingly in oil, probably enjoyed the expedience and brilliance offered by the crayons. Few masters of this difficult medium have been able to match his expert rendering of satin, lace, pearls, flowers, and background drapery. Mary Storer Green was one of several family members who opted for pastel portraits from Copley.
