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John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Rebecca Boylston Gill, ca. 1773

Now On View

Description

Maker

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

Title

Portrait of Rebecca Boylston Gill

Year

ca. 1773

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

Unsigned

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Museum purchase with funds from Isaac C. Bates, William Gammell, Henry D. Sharpe, Miss Ellen D. Sharpe, Elizabeth A. Shepard, Daniel B. Updike, the Honorable George P. Wetmore and Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

07.120

Projects & Publications

Publications

Manual / Issue 1

Hand in Hand
Read Online

Selection VII

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

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Nicole Eisenman

November 1, 2019 - May 1, 2021

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

Rebecca Boylston was 45 when she married widower Moses Gill; he was 38. She was a member of a prominent Boston merchant family and had acquired great land and wealth through inheritance. Gill (at right) commemorated their union by commissioning a portrait that emphasizes Rebecca’s urban sophistication. She wears a Turkish-style costume distinguished by gold embroidery, a silk turban laced with pearls, and a rose-colored mantle draped across one arm. A garden urn filled with lilies complements her fanciful attire. Rebecca confidently engages in this presentation of contemporary status and mode, creating an impression that contrasts distinctly with Copley’s portrait of her predecessor.

American Painting and Sculpture from the Permanent Collection

June 26, 1987 - January 3, 1988

Selection VII

March 31 - May 8, 1977

Related

John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Governor Moses Gill, 1764

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 Rebecca Boylston Gill with the accession number of 07.120. 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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