John Singleton Copley (American, 1738–1815)
Nathaniel Hurd
c. 1765
John Singleton Copley's portrait of the Boston silversmith Nathaniel Hurd (c. 1765) is a rare colonial-American portrait of an artisan: the sitter appears not in formal dress but in a working ensemble, his right hand resting on a book of engravings by his fellow craftsmen. Copley, the pre-eminent portraitist of late colonial America, treats him with the gravity usually reserved for merchants and magistrates. The oil on canvas is a highlight of the Cleveland Museum of Art's American galleries.
Exhibition Venue
Image source: Added by operations team