Copleys Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin and Watson and the Shark - Essay Example

Comparing Two Paintings The most direct symbolic reference to the American Revolution in John Singleton Copley’s 1773 painting “Governor and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin” is the expression of Mr. Mifflin’s desire for independence. Governor Mifflin exhibits a stare that interprets to a knowing but weary demeanor that expresses zeal for independence the colonists wanted dearly (Philadelphia Museum of Art 1). In 1773, Mr. Mifflin went to the First Continental Congress wherein representatives from the colonies debated whether and how to fight the British.

Copley represents Mifflin’s role in this debate with a form of commemoration for the subject’s position as the first Pennsylvania governor after the liberation of the colonies. Copley’s 1778 portrait “Watson and the Shark” also has symbols alluding to aspects of the American Revolution through its highly expressive style. Plainly, viewers can say Copley wanted to commemorate a dramatic event wherein Brook Watson lost his foot (Pinder 186). However, a deeper meaning is an implicit allusion to the War of Independence.

More specifically, the painting shows colonists as brave men as they physically struggle against a killer shark, another symbolic allusion to the British. The 1773 painting symbolically reveals Mr. Mifflin’s political beliefs (Philadelphia Museum of Art 2). Mifflin was a trader against taxes imposed on British commodities. Among the American Revolution’s key objectives was to resist paying duties imposed on commodities from England and encouraging other colonists to follow suit. At the same time, Mrs.

Mifflin conveys a clear message about the political atmosphere in America during the revolution. Mrs. Mifflin has a unique attractive fringe that shows her intention to boycott English commodities and rather create her own. Sarah Mifflin uses her right hand and a loom held in place by a blue ribbon to lace the threads. The ultimate outcome is visible under her left arm (Philadelphia Museum of Art 2). American women during the eighteenth century were not free to run for public office yet Mrs. Mifflin’s actions and poised look convey her political thoughts.

Works Cited Philadelphia Museum of Art. Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin (Sarah Morris). N.d. Division of Education. Print. 2015, January 21. Pinder, Kymberly N. Race-ing Art History: Critical Readings in Race and Art History. Los Angeles: Routledge, 2013.