Rachel
As social unrest reached its pinnacle, the American Revolution was born. Often described as a “godsend for artists” (Pohl), over-dramatized stories and heroic acts gave artists opportunities to showcase their talents as well as make a name for themselves. One of the most famous portrait artists from the Revolutionary period is John Singleton Copley. Renowned for “the exactitude with which he rendered his sitters’ features” (Pohl) as well as his ability to capture their gestures and personalities, Copley’s skill surpassed nearly all painters in the New England area. The artist was introduced to the world by his portrait of Henry Pelham in 1765.
In this piece alone, Copley brilliantly captured a variety of difficult textures, such as glass, fur and metal, and still managed to create “a carefully balanced composition” that draws the viewer’s eye to the face of the subject, then down to his hand, to the squirrel, back up the arm, and focus once again on Henry Pelham’s face (Pohl). In Pelham’s hand lies a barely noticeable and delicate chain attached to the squirrel’s neck; this carefully painted feature provokes ideas that the animal was a “commentary on the fragile relationship between humans and nature in colonial America” (Pohl). Henry gazes away from the painter and seems to hold the chain with little effort, as though unconcerned by such trivial matters.
Another of Copley’s striking pieces is a double portrait entitled Governor and Mrs Thomas Mifflin. Immediately noticeable is the deliberate and meticulous details of clothing and appearance that give the painting life. The most life-like quality of the portrait lies in Mrs. Mifflin’s stare: knowing and yet weary, it seems to express the fight for independence the colonists so desired.
Radically different from his regular portraits, Copley painted Watson and the Shark in a much more expressive manner. While this painting “was commissioned by Brook Watson to commemorate a dramatic incident in which he lost a leg” (Pohl), the painting conveys a deeper meaning. Thought to be an “indirect reference to the War of Independence” (Pohl), Copley shows brave men—colonists—as they fight off a deadly shark—the British.
John Copley’s work was the turning point during this period: as other artists scrambled to take advantage of the high demand for portraits, they were obligated to copy Copley’s style of precision and detail. His work flawlessly recreates each subject’s emotions, characteristics and gestures during the tumultuous Revolutionary period.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
"Copley Painting." TFAOI. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://www.tfaoi.com/newsm1/n1m28.htm>.
"John Singleton Copley." Xaxor. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://xaxor.com/oil-paintings/1186-john-singleton-copley-1737-1815.html>.
"Watson and the Shark." Kensington Online Artroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://e34.courseblock.com/?p=36>.
As social unrest reached its pinnacle, the American Revolution was born. Often described as a “godsend for artists” (Pohl), over-dramatized stories and heroic acts gave artists opportunities to showcase their talents as well as make a name for themselves. One of the most famous portrait artists from the Revolutionary period is John Singleton Copley. Renowned for “the exactitude with which he rendered his sitters’ features” (Pohl) as well as his ability to capture their gestures and personalities, Copley’s skill surpassed nearly all painters in the New England area. The artist was introduced to the world by his portrait of Henry Pelham in 1765.
In this piece alone, Copley brilliantly captured a variety of difficult textures, such as glass, fur and metal, and still managed to create “a carefully balanced composition” that draws the viewer’s eye to the face of the subject, then down to his hand, to the squirrel, back up the arm, and focus once again on Henry Pelham’s face (Pohl). In Pelham’s hand lies a barely noticeable and delicate chain attached to the squirrel’s neck; this carefully painted feature provokes ideas that the animal was a “commentary on the fragile relationship between humans and nature in colonial America” (Pohl). Henry gazes away from the painter and seems to hold the chain with little effort, as though unconcerned by such trivial matters.
Another of Copley’s striking pieces is a double portrait entitled Governor and Mrs Thomas Mifflin. Immediately noticeable is the deliberate and meticulous details of clothing and appearance that give the painting life. The most life-like quality of the portrait lies in Mrs. Mifflin’s stare: knowing and yet weary, it seems to express the fight for independence the colonists so desired.
Radically different from his regular portraits, Copley painted Watson and the Shark in a much more expressive manner. While this painting “was commissioned by Brook Watson to commemorate a dramatic incident in which he lost a leg” (Pohl), the painting conveys a deeper meaning. Thought to be an “indirect reference to the War of Independence” (Pohl), Copley shows brave men—colonists—as they fight off a deadly shark—the British.
John Copley’s work was the turning point during this period: as other artists scrambled to take advantage of the high demand for portraits, they were obligated to copy Copley’s style of precision and detail. His work flawlessly recreates each subject’s emotions, characteristics and gestures during the tumultuous Revolutionary period.
Works Cited
Pohl, Frances K. Framing America: A Social History of American Art. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Images Cited
"Copley Painting." TFAOI. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://www.tfaoi.com/newsm1/n1m28.htm>.
"John Singleton Copley." Xaxor. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://xaxor.com/oil-paintings/1186-john-singleton-copley-1737-1815.html>.
"Watson and the Shark." Kensington Online Artroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://e34.courseblock.com/?p=36>.