Richard Dana

John Singleton Copley American

Not on view

Richard Dana (1700–1772) was a justice of the province of Massachusetts and a leading figure of the Boston bar. During the early stages of the Revolution, the city depended on his sage legal advice. He was a member of the committee that investigated the Boston Massacre in 1770, at about the same time he posed for Copley. As a bold enhancement of the powerful portrait, Copley selected a carved-and-gilded Rococo frame. The frame is personalized with the Dana family’s coat of arms: three stags separated by a chevron, with a fox at the crest and Cavendo tutus (“By caution secure”) as the motto.

Richard Dana, John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London), Oil on canvas, American

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Richard Dana, John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London), Oil on canvas, American
Richard Dana, John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London), Oil on canvas, American
Richard Dana, John Singleton Copley (American, Boston, Massachusetts 1738–1815 London), Oil on canvas, American

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