Artwork
Jeremiah Lee
Jeremiah Lee is a watercolor painting by the Rococo painting artist John Singleton Copley. It dates from 1769 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1769, this portrait of Jeremiah Lee by John Singleton Copley is a miniature characterized by its specific material composition.
Executed in 1769, this portrait of Jeremiah Lee by John Singleton Copley is a miniature characterized by its specific material composition. The artist employed watercolor as the primary medium, applying the pigment onto an ivory support, a combination typical for small-scale portraiture of the era that allowed for fine detail within a compact format. The object measures approximately 3.8 centimeters in height and 3.2 centimeters in width, underscoring its nature as an intimate depiction rather than a large-scale canvas. It is classified within the portrait genre and depicts a male subject.
History & Provenance
John Singleton Copley painted the watercolor-on-ivory portrait of Jeremiah Lee in 1769. The work, classified as a portrait depicting a man, is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing in New York, measuring roughly 3.8 × 3.2 cm. No specific accession number is recorded in the available sources, and the documentation does not detail any exhibition history for the portrait.
Overview
John Singleton Copley created this watercolor on ivory portrait of Jeremiah Lee around 1769. This small-scale work exemplifies Copley's early career as a sought-after artist in colonial America, where he specialized in capturing the likenesses of prominent individuals. The piece reflects the popular demand for detailed portraits among the wealthy during the 18th century, showcasing the artist's skill in rendering individual character.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait depicts Jeremiah Lee with a serious and composed demeanor, dressed in formal 18th-century clothing. Such commissions served to document the status and identity of New England's elite. Copley's ability to convey a sense of individual presence, even within the conventions of formal portraiture, contributed to his reputation among the colonial gentry who sought his services to immortalize their likenesses.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an American-born British painter active in both the Thirteen Colonies and England.
