John Singleton Copley's New York Portraits Portraits: Today we take them for granted, but from the fifth to the fifteenth century - for much of medieval history - discrete portraits of individuals were a rarity, a form reserved for rulers and historic figures. Only in the fifteenth century did European artists, working both north and south of the Alps, once again begin to produce independent portraits of men and women. Colonial America’s foremost portraitist left Boston for the first time in June 1771 on the invitation of New York's A-listers to paint their portraits. He extended his stay from three to six months and painted thirty-seven portraits. As a group, these works are of exceptional artistic quality and interest. Join Timken Docent Elinor Merl for virtual talks about portraits in the Timken collection. This lecture series celebrates portraiture, taking a look at the works of Bartolomeo Veneto in 16th-century Italy, Anthony van Dyck in 17th-century Britain, and John Singleton Copley in 18th-century America.