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John Singleton Copley

Portrait of Theodore Atkinson, Jr. (1737-1769)
Now On View

Description

Maker

John Singleton Copley (American, ca. 1738-1815)

Title

Portrait of Theodore Atkinson, Jr. (1737-1769)

Year

1757-1758

Medium

  • Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Oil on canvas

Materials

oil paint

Supports

  • canvas

Dimensions

127 x 101.6 cm (50 x 40 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signature: Unsigned

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

18.264

Type

  • Paintings

Projects & Publications

Articles

*The best portrait Joseph Blackburn [never] painted*; John Singleton Copley's Portrait of Theodore Atkinson, Jr.

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Nicole Eisenman
Tonight We Are Going Out And We Are All Getting Hammered
Nov 01, 2019 – May 01, 2021
European Galleries
Sep 02, 2017

Label copy

Artist John Singleton Copley was barely 20 years old when he was commissioned to paint Theodore Atkinson Jr. (1737–1769), who was about his same age and the heir to vast New Hampshire landholdings. Copley staged Atkinson as a young lord in expensive clothing, striding forward to survey his country estate. By painting Atkinson in a shiny silk waistcoat, Copley took the opportunity to advertise his own skill at rendering textiles. Unlike the portraits of young British aristocrats on which it is modeled, this example does not include classical ruins or symbols of learning. By combining likeness, fashionable clothes, and lush landscape, Copley effectively signaled Atkinson’s wealth and his family’s political power.

Making It In America
Oct 11, 2013 – Feb 09, 2014

Label copy

Copley was barely 20 when he was commissioned to paint Theodore Atkinson, Jr., the heir to vast New Hampshire landholdings. He staged Atkinson as a young lord striding forward to survey his country estate, adapting the pose from English engravings. Atkinson’s suit was also a fashionable invention, permitting Copley to advertise his skill at rendering sumptuous textiles by dressing his subject in an expensive silk waistcoat. Unlike portraits of young British aristocrats on which it is modeled, no classical ruins or attributes of learning are present. The combination of likeness, costume, and verdant acreage effectively signaled Atkinson’s distinguished pedigree and brilliant future.

Use & Feedback

Image 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 and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

John Singleton Copley (American, ca. 1738-1815)
Portrait of Theodore Atkinson, Jr. (1737-1769), 1757-1758
Oil on canvas
127 x 101.6 cm (50 x 40 inches)
Jesse Metcalf Fund 18.264

To request 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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