John Singleton Copley
(1738 - 1815) |
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Portraiture Art Work
| Name: |
John Singleton Copley |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
Boston, Massachusetts |
| Nationality: |
American |
| Birth: |
1738 |
| Death: |
1815 |
| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
Portraiture |
| Medium: |
oil |
| Method: |
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| Style: |
Realism, Classicism |
| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Painter
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Biography
John Singleton Copley,a portrait and history painter. Born July 3 1738, probably at Boston, where his parents were recent Irish immigrants.The artist died in London September 9th 1815.In Boston, more or less self taught, he became the most remarkable portrait painter New England had produced, with a penetrating sympathy for the local character his American portraits cat. He contributed, from America, to the SA London 1766-1772 He left Boston for Europe in June 1774, and traveled to London and Paris to Rome, where,
partly under Gavin Hamilton's guidance, he studied intensively Raphael and the Antique. In October 1775 he rejoined his family in London, where he settled for the rest of his life. Copley's English style is curiously different from his New England style in portraiture. His portrait arrangements are much more sophisticated and owe a good deal to the latest English portraits he had seen even though many of his early London sitters had American connections.His first major work in his new style is the Copley Family, RA 1777 Washington. But he was always ambitious to be a history painter and he created a sensation with Watson and the Shark, RA 1778 Washington, an entirely novel realistic representation of a dramatic contemporary incident. His Earl Eglinton, RA 1780 Los Angeles is almost a miniature contemporary history picture, and from 1779 to 1781 he was engaged on the huge Death of Chatham Tate Gallery, which was shown privately with a shilling entrance fee and established a new precedent in heroic reportage. The best of these history pictures is The death of Major Pierson 1783,Copley's other great histories are The Siege of Gibraltar, 1783-1791 Guildhall and his last major work, The Victory of Lord Duncan, Camperdown House, Dundee. His history pictures of scenes from an earlier age are unfortunate. He also had a considerable practice in portrait painting he was charging 100 guineas for a full length in 1783 and is at his best showing people in their public character. His two most remarkable portrait groups Three Princesses, RA 1785 Buckingham Palace and The Sitwell Family,RA 1786 Renishaw Hall were severely criticized but are highly original. He also painted a number of religious compositions. The Red Cross Knight, RA 1793 Washington, a sort of family allegory, shows that he was still capable of brilliant invention. He was the most distinguished painter of the contemporary historical scene in English 18th century painting. |
Samples of Work
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