The british soldier and british commander of the area. He wrote to him offering intelligence in exchange for protection from the soldiers for some cash. This was not discovered until the 20th century when clintons papers went to the Clements Library in ann arbor and this correspondence was discovered. So it doesnt look like he got much assistance, much protection, or much cash because his circumstances were considerably reduced after the war. He and his wife moved to providence where they set up a shop. He became a shopkeeper and they had a boardinghouse. So the question is, did ann know about his traitorous activities . We dont know, but it doesnt take away from this beautiful portrait of this very young, very confident, selfassured looking young woman with her beautiful garland of flowers and her beautiful lace sleeves. Another portrait in this room of a woman by copley is this one of Abigail Smith babcock, the wife of another wealthy merchant, who was not a spy. He was a patriot, and he provided ships and assistance to the revolutionary troops. Shes shown in this beautiful, very stylish dress. Often you see it in white, but this style that comes from ancient greece or turkish fashions with the empire waist and pearl belt shes wearing. She has that cape, which makes you think was that hers or was it something copley used in in the studio. We dont know. Vb shes holding a beautiful garnet bracelet. Shes holding onto the clasp, but she has the beads of the garnet wound around her fingers. Its a lovely portrait. Youll see as we go through the galleries that many times the husband and wife were painted or children, son and daughterinlaw were painted. These were family portraits or efforts to portray the whole family. I think they would have been the only way of recording a likeness because photography wasnt available yet. So they were there and probably hung in homes unless they were in some cases commissioned for political like for a state house or Something Like that, but these are personal that were looking. Copley lived on beacon hill in boston. Hed had a quite lucrative business as a portrait painter. This is one of the last ones actually, i do remember that he painted her husband as well, mr. Adam babcock. These paintings were done in 1774, which were some of the last ones copley painted before he left boston for europe. He had a lucrative practice. 1774, he knew torreys and he knew patriots. He didnt seem to differentiate between the two. He probably lived amongst both. I think he just got tired of the turmoil. It became not particularly lucrative. Nobody was thinking about having a portrait painted when revolutionary activities were becoming so prevalent, so he just decided this was the time to go. Amazingly enough he left his wife and four children in boston and went to england and then to italy to study. His wife met him in england. But when he left, i dont think that was necessarily the plan, but activities it became so turbulent here that he decidedd it was safer for her to come to england, so she came with her father. So as i said, copley in 1774 decided it was time to leave boston and go to europe to study. He had been encouraged by Benjamin West to come for years, so he finally decided the revolutions coming. Things arent good for portraiture here in boston. I think its time to go. He went to england briefly and met with west and then he went to italy to study for a year. His family, his wife and four children, were left behind with her father richard clark. They eventually joined him in london. When copley came back to alolon after his year in italy, he was so pleased to be reunited with his family he painted this portrait in celebration of that reunion, so this is copley in the back holding some sheets of paper and his family in the foreground. His wife with his young son, john copley jr. , and his fatherinlaw is holding the youngest child, the recently born baby. Theres an interesting story about that. And the other two girls, you see their dolls. A doll and a hat here in the corner. Theyre in the background. When copley learned that his wife had come to london, he was still in litaly. She said she came with three of the children. He asked her which one did you leave behind. It must have been the youngest one because he was so delicate. She did leave their youngest son behind. He died in january. When copley started in painting of his family, the baby would have been that child, but that child died and copley must have known his wife was expecting another. He left the space and painted in the fifth child in this painting. One child is not here. His image of his wife kind of reminds you of an italian madonna and betrays his study in italy the year before they came. Theyre sitting in furniture that would have been in their home in london. Richard clark, copleys wifes father, was a merchant in boston with torrey leanings, and it was his tea, the tea that was dumped into the boston