Thomas HancockJohn Singleton Copley · 1758

Identification of the Portrait of Thomas Hancock

John Singleton Copley painted Thomas Hancock circa 1758. The sitter was a male merchant hailing from Lexington, Massachusetts. He lived from 13 July 1703 to 1 August 1764.

This portrait captures a prominent figure of colonial society. As a merchant, Hancock occupied a significant position within the economic landscape of the era. The work represents an early engagement by Copley with the influential circles of Boston.

Composition and Visual Details

This formal 18th-century miniature is composed within an oval format, focusing the viewer's attention on a close-up portrait of the subject. Rendered in a three-quarter view, the figure is positioned against a dark, undifferentiated background that provides no sense of setting or depth. This lack of environmental detail directs all visual weight toward the sitter's head and shoulders.

The subject is presented with the characteristic grooming of the period, wearing a white powdered wig and a crisp white cravat. A dark grey or charcoal coat provides a stark tonal contrast to the brightness of the neckwear and hair. Lighting originates from the upper left, casting gentle highlights across the right side of the face and creating subtle modeling that defines the facial structure. The smooth, blended transitions in the skin tones and the fine textures of the hair and fabric emphasize the intimate scale of the work.

Technique and Physical Materials

Executed as an oil-on-copper miniature, this work utilizes a technique common to the period before watercolor on ivory became the established standard in the colonies. The choice of a metal substrate allows for a smooth, non-porous surface, facilitating the fine, precise brushwork required for such a small-scale portrait. The artist's method relies on the specific properties of oil to achieve subtle gradations in skin tone and the delicate textures of the subject's powdered wig and cravat.

The physical dimensions of the piece are highly intimate. The sight of the portrait measures 9.5 x 7.6cm, with a total height of 95 mm and a width of 76 mm. This compact scale necessitates a high degree of technical control to maintain clarity and detail within the oval format. The work is presented within a frame measuring 23.2 x 25.7 x 1.9cm.

Provenance and Collection History

The lineage of this miniature follows a direct descent through the sitter's family. Originally held by Thomas Hancock, the work passed to his nephew and adopted son, John Hancock. The portrait remained within the family through the sitter's daughter, Mary Lydia Colyer, and subsequently through her niece, Elizabeth Lowell Hancock Wood.

The ownership continued through the descendants of the Wood family. The piece was held by Charles Hancock Wood, followed by his son, Charles H. Wood of Duxbury, Mass. The lineage also includes the sitter's brother, William B. Wood. After these private holdings, the work was sold through Vose Galleries in Boston in 1981.

Current Location and Museum Access

This work is held within the National Portrait Gallery collection at the Smithsonian Institution. It is cataloged under the object number NPG.81.17. The piece remains part of the permanent institutional holdings, preserved as a significant record of colonial-era portraiture.

The artwork is in the public domain. This status allows for various uses of the image in accordance with its open copyright standing. Researchers and the public may access the work through the Smithsonian's digital and physical resources.