Dimensions: support: 1280 x 1022 mm frame: 1595 x 1290 x 120 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have John Singleton Copley's "Portrait of Mrs. Gill." I’m struck by how this painting conveys a sense of reserved dignity. What’s your take on this portrait? Curator: Copley was quite astute in capturing the nuances of social standing in colonial America. The book Mrs. Gill holds, her clothing, and even her posture speak volumes about her place within the community. How do you think her portrayal reflects the values of the time? Editor: Maybe it's about the importance of education and piety for women? Curator: Precisely! And how the wealthy displayed their status through art and objects. I find Copley's ability to capture these social dynamics fascinating. Editor: It’s amazing how a portrait can tell us so much about the past.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/copley-portrait-of-mrs-gill-t02386
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Copley painted several portraits of wealthy Bostonians such as Mrs Michael Gill. Their plain directness allies them to Scottish ‘common sense’ portraits by Allan Ramsay, rather than the aristocratic London portraits of Gainsborough and Reynolds. This may reflect the dominance of the merchant class in Boston, whose wealth was in trade rather than land and who prized material goods rather than emblems of rank. Such paintings would have looked provincial to a London audience. Copley decided to settle in England at the time of the American Revolution. His later portraits show his assimilation of a freer and lighter English style. Gallery label, September 2004
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