The Copley Family

John Singleton Copley

about 1788

Oil on canvas

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

John Singleton Copley painted this oil sketch in gray tones to guide an engraver, depicting his family in a composition that celebrated their reunion and demonstrated his skills. 1777, after immigrating to England from America, Copley painted a monumental portrait of his family (now at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.). He had preceded them to Europe by eighteen months, so the composition celebrated their happy reunion. It also demonstrated Copley’s skills as a portraitist. His paintings soon became sufficiently popular that he could sell prints made after them. Copley made this oil sketch twelve years after completing the original work, painting it in gray tones to guide the engraver. The prints proved to be good investments—not only did they sell, but they also inspired new commissions for pai