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 Bea·con Hill An area of Boston, Massachusetts, noted for its historic residences, brick sidewalks, and picturesque mews. Noun 1. Beacon Hill - a fashionable section of Boston; site of the Massachusetts capital building , 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 Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA (16 July 1723 – 23 February 1792) was the most important and influential of 18th century English painters, specializing in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. , 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 Revere, city (1990 pop. 42,786), Suffolk co., E Mass., a residential suburb of Boston, on Massachusetts Bay; settled c.1630, set off from Chelsea and named for Paul Revere 1871, inc. as a city 1914. 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 fin·i·al n. 1. Architecture A sculptured ornament, often in the shape of a leaf or flower, at the top of a gable, pinnacle, or similar structure. 2. An ornamental terminating part, as on a post or piece of furniture. 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
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, and contains one of the largest permanent museum collections in the Americas. . 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 Stamp Act, 1765, revenue law passed by the British Parliament during the ministry of George Grenville. The first direct tax to be levied on the American colonies, it required that all newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, commercial bills, advertisements, and other (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 Boston Tea Party, 1773. In the contest between British Parliament and the American colonists before the Revolution, Parliament, when repealing the Townshend Acts, had retained the tea tax, partly as a symbol of its right to tax the colonies, partly to aid the . Resources Fischer, David Hackett. Paul Revere's Ride "Paul Revere's Ride" is an American poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that commemorates the actions of American patriot Paul Revere on April 18, 1775. [1] The poem was written on April 19, 1860 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in January of 1861. . New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , 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 Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807–82, American poet, b. Portland, Maine, grad. Bowdoin College, 1825. He wrote some of the most popular poems in American literature, in which he created a new body of romantic American legends. . The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Illustrated by Christopher Bing. Brooklyn, NY: Handprint hand·print n. An outline or indentation left by a hand. 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 In the Attic can refer to:
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 See multifactor authentication. , 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 Noun 1. Charles Stuart - son of James I who was King of England and Scotland and Ireland; was deposed and executed by Oliver Cromwell (1600-1649) Charles I, Charles , John Neagle, Henry Singleton This article appears to contradict another article. Please see discussion on the linked talk page. Co-Founder of Teledyne Vice-President at Litton Industries Henry Earl Singleton, Sc.D. ). 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 An artist's statement is a brief text composed by an artist and intended to explain, justify, and contextualize his or her body of work. Artists often have a short (50-100 word) and a long (500-1000 word) version of the same statement, and they may maintain and revise these describing artistic choices and the decision-making process. |
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