Mrs.Richard Skinner 1772

This is John Singleton Copley’s portrait of Mrs. Richard Skinner, painted with oil on canvas sometime in the late 18th century. Born in Boston, Copley became the pre-eminent portrait painter of the colonial elite, deftly capturing their aspirations to gentility. Note how Mrs. Skinner, adorned with lace and silk, sits at a polished mahogany table. Such details speak volumes about her family’s wealth and status in early America. But Copley also shows us something of the inner life of his sitter. Her gaze drifts off, and her pose suggests a gentle melancholy. Perhaps the artist hints at the social and political turmoil brewing in the colonies at this time. To fully understand this painting, we need to consult historical records, account books, and period newspapers. Such documents help us to understand the complex social forces that shaped both the artist and his privileged subjects.