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John Singleton Copley (painter) American, 1738 - 1815 Anne Fairchild Bowler (Mrs. Metcalf Bowler), c. 1763 oil on canvas Overall: 127.2 x 102.2 cm (50 1/16 x 40 1/4 in.) framed: 142.9 x 118.1 x 4.4 cm (56 1/4 x 46 1/2 x 1 3/4 in.) Gift of Louise Alida Livingston 1968.1.1 On View |
The deep blue of the sitter’s silk dress befited the restrained tastes of colonial America; British women preferred brighter colors. Anne Fairchild (1730-1803) wed the owner of a country estate in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. The floral garland in Mrs. Bowler’s hands, besides being a standard symbol of beauty, may refer to her husband’s wealth; he possessed one of the very few greenhouses in the colonies.