John Singleton Copley
An 18th-century painter who captured the ambitious spirit of colonial America before becoming a celebrated history painter in London.
1738–1815 (age 77)·American-born painter·Birthday: July 3
Biography
John Singleton Copley crafted the visual identity of pre-Revolutionary America. Working in Boston, he painted the merchants, lawyers, and rising elite with a startling realism and psychological depth, creating masterpieces like 'Paul Revere' and 'Boy with a Squirrel.' His work provided a clear-eyed document of a society on the brink of monumental change. Sensing the coming political turmoil, Copley moved to London in 1774, where he reinvented himself. He achieved great success as a portraitist for British society but also pioneered a new kind of history painting, tackling contemporary, dramatic events like 'Watson and the Shark' and 'The Death of Major Peirson' with modern clothing and urgent emotion. His career bridged two worlds, leaving an indelible record of both colonial aspiration and Georgian grandeur.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1738
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1738Born
1743Started school
1751Became a teenager
1754Could drive
1756Could vote
1759Turned 21
1768Turned 30
1778Turned 40
1788Turned 50
1798Turned 60
1808Turned 70
1815Died at 77
Key Achievements
- Created definitive portraits of the American colonial elite, including Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
- Painted 'Watson and the Shark,' a groundbreaking history painting based on a contemporary event.
- Elected a full member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London in 1779.
- His painting 'The Death of Major Peirson' was a critical and popular success at the Royal Academy exhibition.
Did You Know?
He was largely self-taught, learning from engravings of European masterworks.
His mother owned a tobacco shop on Boston's Long Wharf.
Copley's son, Lord Lyndhurst, became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.
“I paint the faces I see, not the faces I imagine.”
