Anne Fairchild Bowler c. 1763

John Singleton Copley painted "Anne Fairchild Bowler" in the Colonies during a time of growing social and political tension with Britain. This portrait presents Anne Fairchild Bowler as a member of the colonial elite. Her elegant satin dress, lace trim, and pearl jewelry mark her high social standing. The flowers adorning her dress symbolize wealth and status, reflecting the economic prosperity of the merchant class in pre-revolutionary America. Copley’s choice to depict Bowler in this way suggests a desire to affirm and celebrate the existing social order. To understand this image, you might research the economic structures of colonial America and the role of portraiture in solidifying social status. We can investigate how this and other artworks served as a tool for cultural preservation or, alternatively, for challenging the institutions of art and society. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.