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The Boston painter Copley's virtuosity at rendering luxurious textiles was precisely the kind of talent that appealed to his patrons. In 1769 the prosperous merchant John Greene commissioned a portrait of himself and this portrait of his wife, Catherine (1735–1785), after thirteen years of marriage. Shown at the age of 34, Mrs. Greene wears a fanciful costume inspired by ancient styles, strikes a pose derived from an English engraving, and pretends to lean against a rock that looks as insubstantial as a theatrical prop. This likeness places Mrs. Greene in an ideal realm far removed from mundane matters. The frame is original.

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Details

  • Title: Catherine Greene
  • Creator: John Singleton Copley (American, 1738–1815)
  • Date Created: 1769
  • Physical Dimensions: Framed: 145.5 x 121 x 7 cm (57 5/16 x 47 5/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 125.7 x 101 cm (49 1/2 x 39 3/4 in.)
  • Provenance: Margaret Greene Spencer, sister of the sitter; Phebe Greene Ward; John Ward, son of Phebe Greene Ward; Charles Henry Ward, grandnephew of John Ward, inherited in 1866; Mary M. Ward, widow of Charles Henry Ward; (New York sale 1914); (Vose Gallery, Boston: the first painting bought by the Museum, 1915).
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1915.527
  • Medium: oil on canvas
  • Inscriptions: Signed lower right: "JSCp. 1769 [JSC in monogram]"
  • Fun Fact: Small, shimmering pearls in the woman's hair and on her sleeves add an opulent touch to this portrait.
  • Department: American Painting and Sculpture
  • Culture: America, 18th century
  • Credit Line: Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
  • Collection: American - Painting
  • Accession Number: 1915.527

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