On May 21, a long-lost portrait of Captain Gabriel Maturin by John Singleton Copley will be offered during Bonhams’ American Art sale in New York. The work was painted in 1771 during Copley’s six-month sojourn in New York City, four years prior to the American Revolution. The portrait, which was believed to have been lost until it was located in the U.S. and authenticated in 2011, is expected to fetch between $500,000 and $700,000.
In 1768, Copley painted a portrait of New York-based Major General Thomas Gage, the Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s Armed Forces in America. The work helped establish Copley among General Gage’s team and eventually led to a commission from Captain Gabriel Maturin, General Gage’s Chief of Staff.
Copley, the foremost artist in colonial America, rarely traveled outside of Boston. In fact, prior to his permanent relocation to Europe in 1774, his brief stay in New York City was the artist’s only venture outside of the New England city. Copley’s portrait of Captain Gabriel Maturin is one of approximately 25 portraits painted during the artist’s stay in New York.
