Source A: John Singleton Copley Biography
John Singleton Copley was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1738. His parents owned a small shop near Boston Harbor, where many ships traded goods. After his father died, his mother remarried an artist named Peter Pelham. Pelham taught young Copley how to draw, paint, and engrave images onto metal plates. These early lessons helped Copley become one of the most skilled artists in the American colonies.
Copley began his career by painting portraits of wealthy families in Boston. These paintings were usually displayed in homes and helped families show their status. Copley had a talent for painting people in realistic detail. He could capture the shine of silk, the texture of skin, and the shadows on a face. This made him very popular among merchants and leaders.
During the 1760s, Copley painted important figures in the colonies. He worked hard and created more than two hundred portraits during this time. He also painted miniatures, which were small, detailed portraits, and pastel drawings. Copley often used ideas from English art. He studied prints and copies of European paintings to learn different styles and techniques. Although he never traveled to Europe as a young man, he carefully observed the work of other artists who had.
Copley’s life was connected to some of the major events of the time. In 1769, he married Susanna Clarke, whose family was involved in the tea trade. In 1773, a protest over British tea imports caused unrest in Boston. Copley began to feel pressure because of his family’s ties to British business. A short time later, he decided to move his family to England.
Before leaving, Copley completed one of his most famous works, Boy with a Flying Squirrel, which he sent to London for an art exhibition. It impressed other artists and helped launch his career overseas.
John Singleton Copley’s early success came from his skill, hard work, and connections with wealthy clients. His paintings gave people a way to show who they were, and they still give us clues about life in the colonies today.
Source B: Portrait of Reverend Joseph Sewall by John Singleton Copley. c. 1766.
