John Singleton Copley in America

Solid scholarship and lavish production distinguish this study of one of Colonial America's leading painters, John Singleton Copley (1738-1815). Designed to accompany the currently touring exhibition of Copley's American works, this volume makes the case for the early Copley's importance both as an aesthetic innovator and as representative of his time and place. From his iconic portrait of Paul Revere at work to his haunting depiction of Mrs. Thomas Gage, the British general's unhappy American wife, the works that Copley produced before abandoning his native Boston for Europe in 1774 gleam with technical brilliance and have historical significance. Notable contributions to this catalogue include an overview of Copley scholarship by Rebora, associate curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; two lucid essays by Staiti, professor of art history at Mount Holyoke College, which treat the relationship between Copley and his commercial milieu in Boston; and studies by Met curators Marjorie Shelley and Morrison H. Heckscher, who examine Copley's pastels and the frames in which he set his early works, respectively. (Oct.)