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John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Govenor Moses Gill, 1764

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • John Singleton Copley, ca. 1738-1815, American

Title

Portrait of Govenor Moses Gill

Year

1764

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

126.4 x 100.3 cm (49 3/4 x 39 1/2 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed:J.S. Copley Pinxt 1764

Place

America

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

07.117

Projects & Publications

Publications

Teaching Notes/ Imagining the Americas

Read Online

Manual / Issue 1

Hand in Hand
Read Online

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Selection VII

American Painting from the Museum's Collection, c.1800-1930

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

Moses Gill was 30 years old and a successful hardware merchant when he commissioned formal portraits of himself and his first wife, Sarah, seen at right. Their marriage added land to Gill’s assets, elevating his standing in Boston’s social hierarchy. Copley posed Gill in a fictional interior populated with luxurious draperies, a mahogany baluster, and paneled woodwork. Copley often “invented” clothing for his sitters, as is the case with this elegant costume with a fitted silk waistcoat that responds to his girth and acknowledges his prosperity.

After Sarah’s death, Moses Gill remarried (his second wife, Rebecca, is at his left) and pursued a successful political career. A supporter of colonial independence, he joined the Massachusetts legislature, was appointed lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, and in 1799 briefly served as acting governor.

Wow, look at that waistcoat! This painting’s powerful visual presence comes from Copley’s ability to capture light reflecting off that satin garment and his masterful manipulation of warm gray values to convey the texture of that expensive material. The painting’s power also comes from its geometry: the S curve running down the center of the composition was thought to be an ideal line in art theory of Copley’s time. Then there’s the remarkable repetition and mirroring of shapes throughout the painting, such as the triangular shape that appears in the door panel and below the elbow on the left side, and the curve of the outer coat which echoes the curve of the waistcoat.

Trent Burleson, painter and RISD professor (Illustration)

Selection VII

March 31 - May 8, 1977

Painters of Precise Vision

February 3-28, 1954

Exploring America

Related

RISDM 07-118.jpg

John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Sarah Prince Gill, 1764
Z0029238.jpg

John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Rebecca Boylston Gill, ca. 1773

More objects +

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Govenor Moses Gill with the accession number of 07.117. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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