Primary sourcePainting1768

Portrait of Paul Revere

John Singleton Copley · 1768

A 1768 portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, showing him as a silversmith holding a teapot.

This life-time portrait shows Revere as a working silversmith, the trade he practiced before and during his Patriot activities.

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Oil portrait of a man with short brown hair in a white linen shirt and dark green vest, resting his chin on one hand at a dark wooden table. His other hand holds a polished silver teapot. Tools lie on the table at lower left against a dark background. — John Singleton Copley, Portrait of Paul Revere, 1768.

About this source

What it is

This oil portrait of Paul Revere was painted in 1768 by the colonial artist John Singleton Copley. It shows Revere in a plain shirt and vest, resting his chin on his hand and holding a silver teapot, with his engraving tools on the table beside him.

Why it matters

Painted during Revere's lifetime, this portrait captures him as a working craftsman rather than as the famous rider he would later become known as. It is a landmark image because it shows how Revere and his trade were seen by his contemporaries, years before his role in the Revolution made him famous.

Look closer

Why do you think Copley chose to show Revere holding a teapot and his tools rather than in fine clothes?
What does this portrait tell you about Revere's identity before he became known as a Patriot?
How might this image differ from how later generations imagined Revere?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Paul Revere on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Hand-colored engraving titled 'The Bloody Massacre' showing British redcoat soldiers firing volleys of musket smoke at a crowd in King Street, Boston, with bodies on the ground and a Town House building in the background. Verse text and a caption appear below.

Painting

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The Bloody Massacre

Paul Revere · 1770

Oil portrait of a man with short brown hair in a white linen shirt and dark green vest, resting his right hand against his chin. His left hand holds a polished silver teapot on a round wooden stand. Tools lie on the dark wooden table in front of him against a black background.

Painting

Primary source