John Singleton Copley

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John Singleton Copley

1738-1815

Two Studies of a Man Astride a Cannon

Black and white chalk on blue paper.

12 1/4 x 9 inches (310 x 228 mm)

Gift of Mrs. Jacob M. Kaplan.

1970.13

Notes:

Watermark: none.
Preparatory drawing for Copley's painting, "The Siege of Gibraltar," at the Guildhall Art Gallery, London. The painting was executed in 1785 to commemorate the then recent siege. Copley completed a number of drawings, portrait studies and oil sketches relating to this painting. The composition of the drawing in the Morgan collection occurs in an oil sketch at the Thomas Coram Foundation in London, but not in the final version of the painting.

Inscription:

Inscribed in black chalk at upper left, "Study for figure in picture / of Siege of Gibraltar. J. S. Copley R. A."

Provenance:

Edward Basil Jupp; Thomas William Waller; Elizabeth Stauffer Moore; John William Moore Richardson (grandson of Elizabeth Stauffer Moore); Elizabeth Richardson Simmons (daughter of John William Moore Richardson), sale, London, Christie's, 12 November 1968, no. 30, repr.; Mrs. Jacob M. Kaplan.

Associated names:

Jupp, Edward Basil, 1812-1877, former owner.
Waller, Thomas William, former owner.
Moore, Elizabeth Stauffer, former owner.
Richardson, John William Moore, former owner.
Simmons, Elizabeth Richardson, former owner.
Kaplan, Alice M., 1903-1995, former owner.

Bibliography:

Ryskamp, Charles, ed. Sixteenth Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1969-1971. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1973, p. 111.

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Copley, John Singleton

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