Mrs. John Winthrop
1773
John Singleton Copley captures the ultimate colonial flex in this 1773 portrait of Hannah Winthrop, a prominent Boston socialite. Dressed in shimmering blue silk and delicate lace, she casually holds a peach branch—a massive status symbol in 18th-century America, where the fruit had to be grown in expensive, specialized greenhouses. Notice the incredibly polished mahogany table reflecting her hands and the fruit; Copley was famous for his hyper-realistic textures that made his subjects look like they could step right out of the canvas.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
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