John Singleton Copley was born on 3 July 1738 in Boston. By 1760 he had developed a distinctive, meticulous style and was considered the American colonies best portrait painter. He toured Italy in 1774 and, encouraged by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Benjamin West Copley, emigrated to London the next year where he lived until his death on 9 September 1815. In England he created large historical paintings which brought him great fame in Europe.