Colonial Portraits

Art

Students will study and discuss artworks from the colonial period.

What You Need

• Access to the Internet, art reference books, or a nearby art museum containing works by John Singleton Copley.

What To Do

1. Guide students to the National Gallery of Art Web site (http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/gg60b/gg60b-main1.html) or to a reference book or nearby museum containing work by John Singleton Copley.
2. Ask students to study Copley's portraits of colonial men and women. What conclusions can they draw about colonial dress and lifestyle from these portraits? How did colonial people's appearances differ from those of people today? Ask students to share their impressions with the class.