Copley Square Park
N 42° 20.980 W 071° 04.590
19T E 328970 N 4690688
Copley Square Park in Boston's Back Bay was named in honor of John S. Copley in 1883. On Wednesday, October 23, 2002, the city of Boston unveiled a statue to Copley, America's first great artist. Copley always wanted to return to Boston, but never did. He died in London in 1815.
Waymark Code: WM20H
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/28/2005
Views: 108
Considered America's first great portrait artist, John S. Copley was born on July 3, 1737 in Boston. His parents were Richard Copley and Mary Singleton from County Clare, who were married in Limerick before emigrating. His father died just after John was born, leaving his mother to raise him by working at a shop that sold tobacco down by the docks. In 1747 she married Peter Pelham, a colonial artist and a founder of the Charitable Irish Society in 1737. Pelham helped to nurture his stepson's talent, and by age twenty Copley had already gained a reputation as a promising artist. His first painting, "A Boy and the Flying Squirrel," was sent to the Royal Academy in London and his reputation began to take shape.
Copley painted the leading citizens of his time, including George Washington, John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. Other acclaimed works by Copley include "A Boy Rescued from a Shark in the Harbor of Havana," and "The Red Cross Knight," from Spencer's poem The Fairy Queen. Boston's Museum of Fine Arts has over 50 Copley paintings, including the famous Paul Revere portrait. The Massachusetts Historical Society on Boylston Street has the portraits of John Hancock, Mary Otis Gray and several other prominent 18th century Americans. (All text for this waymark was copied from website listed below.)