Copley's Paul Revere.

The Artist

John Singleton Copley was virtually self-taught yet became the greatest painter in eighteenth-century America. By the age of eighteen he had become a highly sought portrait painter. His paintings held a good likeness and a pleasing reflection of his sitters' wealth and social aspirations. Copley's dazzling technique and his knowledge of the latest London fashion contributed to his success.

Although Copley prospered, with many commissions and a big house on Boston's Beacon Hill, he did not feel entirely content. The role of artists in colonial America caused him despair.

"Was it not for persevering the resemblance of particular persons ... painting would not be known in the place."

In 1766, Copley sent his Boy with a Squirrel (1765) for exhibition at the Society of Artists in London. Could his work meet the standards of English portraitists? Joshua Reynolds, the preeminent English portraitist, called it "an excellent picture" and encouraged Copley to study in Europe. However, Copley remained in Boston, where he painted his portrait of Paul Revere three years later.

The Painting

The painting on the next page is one of Copley's best-known works, but this was not always the case. It is rare among colonial portraits, depicting a workingman with no wig or jacket, shirtsleeves roiled up, and tools at the ready. We all know Paul Revere, yet this portrait by Copley is full of mystery.

Copley's Paul Revere is distinct in colonial American portraiture because it shows someone who is clearly a workman: His shirt is open, his waistcoat is unbuttoned, and he wears no jacket. Look closely at the hand holding the teapot. His fingernails appear short and dirty! Yet this is no apologetic fellow. Revere looks at the viewer directly and confidently. Despite his humble subject, Copley lavishes his usual virtuoso skill on this work. The folds on the linen shirt at the shoulder and at the cuff are as clearly and richly depicted as Copley's usual satin. The highly polished dark wood table on which Revere rests his elbow is as reflective as any piece of fine furniture. The teapot is round as a ripe melon, its silver surface glowing richly. It is elegant and restrained in composition (note the finial on the lid). Engraving tools rest on the table, ready for use. Copley's manipulation of light and dark resembles that of a Renaissance master.

The portrait is a mystery: Who commissioned it? Who paid for it? The work was not publicly displayed until 1928, when it was loaned to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Today it is one of the museum's best-known paintings.

Paul Revere and Colonial Boston

Son of a French immigrant silversmith, Paul Revere was a well-established silversmith by 1754. He made teapots, coffeepots, tankards, and porringers, but three quarters of his works were small personal items such as buttons, shoe buckles, knee buckles, and flatware. He made frames and cases for Copley's miniatures. Teapots were one of the most complex and expensive items he made. He even practiced dentistry!

Revere held other interests besides working with silver. He was a lifelong member of the Congregational New Brick Church, a member of its Standing Committee, and a Mason of Saint Andrew's Lodge. Revere also joined the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization formed to protest the Stamp Act (1768). This infamous act inspired debate about "taxation without representation." After the repeal of the Stamp Act, the newly passed Townshend Act taxed colonists on imported glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The tax on tea remained after 1770, when most of the acts had been repealed, and gave rise to the Boston Tea Party.

Resources

Fischer, David Hackett. Paul Revere's Ride. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1994. Provides an in-depth insight into this pivotal period in American history and the people who made it.

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Illustrated by Christopher Bing. Brooklyn, NY: Handprint Books, 2001. A beautifully illustrated version of this poem, with "period" touches.

www.askart.com/interest/colonial_America.asp. A quick snapshot of Copley's artistic forbearers and contemporaries in Colonial America, as well as related information.

A Closer Look

How do you interpret the expression on Revere's face? Any ideas what he is thinking? Why do you think Copley has Revere holding a teapot? Do you know the symbolism of the pineapple on the finial of the lid? How do you think Copley felt about Revere? Why do you think Copley painted the portrait?

Revere's family actually kept this painting in the attic, retrieving it after the 1861 publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride." Can you think of an example of long-neglected art? Why do attitudes change? Are there "fashions" in art?

A Last Word

In 1774 Copley did take Reynolds' advice and sailed to Europe. He never returned!

Things to Do

Erica Broussard Wall, Head of School Programs & Resources, MFA, Boston

Elementary: Attributes

Look at family photos and select one that most reflects the person in it (job, hobbies, where they grew up, dress, etc.).

Share photos and describe attributes that help to introduce the person and what he or she is like. Write down other attributes that students would add to the picture to better reflect the person. Draw a new portrait or take another photo of the person with the attributes students listed to share with the class for a comparison.

Middle School: Fashion Dates an Era

Look at other portraits by Copley and by his contemporaries (Gilbert Charles Stuart, John Neagle, Henry Singleton). Compare them to portraits by today's artists. Look at the styles of clothing depicted and discuss how the artists portray clothing from a particular era, the influence of fashion trends, and the status of the sitters.

Select examples of one portrait from two different artists of two different eras. Research the artists and their eras. How is the information that was found reflected in the portraits students chose? Based on their research, what would students add to or omit from the portraits?

High School: Artists' Choices

List the most distinct characteristics of Copley's style. Select a work by a contemporary portraitist and make comparisons in style and subject (sitters). Create a portrait (painting or pastel) of a present-day figure using styles from both artists. Write an artist's statement describing artistic choices and the decision-making process.