JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY* (1738-1815)

Details

JOHN SINGLETON COPLEY* (1738-1815)

Portrait of a Man

oil on canvas laid down on masonite
19 x 15in. (48 x 38cm.) (oval)

Provenance

Mr. Copley Amory, Washington, D.C.
Descent in the Amory family
National Portrait Gallery (extended loan)

Literature

J. D. Brown, John Singleton Copley, Washington, 1966, p. 264, illus. 415.
F. W. Bailey, The Life and Works of John Singleton Copley, Boston, 1915, p. 84.
T. Bolton and H. I. Binsse, "John Singleton Copley", Antiquarian, XV (Dec. 1930), p. 116.

Lot Essay

According to Jules Prown, this portrait has been customarily identified as another self-portrait, but there is no resemblance between this figure and the known likeness of Copley. However, the strong resemblance between his likeness and the head of Richard Clarke in the family picture suggests that this may be a portrait of one of Clarke's two sons, Jonathan or Isaac Winslow.