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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1810-1835

Samuel Adams Engraving by Goodman and Piggot after Copley

Charles Goodman and R. Piggot, after John Singleton Copley · c. 1810-1835

An early 19th-century engraving of Samuel Adams, based on a painted portrait by John Singleton Copley.

A posthumous engraved likeness of Adams reproducing a painted portrait, used to spread his image after his death.

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Black and white stipple engraving of Samuel Adams, a man with white hair in a rolled style, wearing a dark coat, waistcoat and white cravat, against a dark background. Caption below reads 'Samuel Adams' with credits 'Painted by Copley' and 'Engraved by C. Goodman & R. Piggot'.
Charles Goodman and R. Piggot, after John Singleton Copley, Samuel Adams, c. 1810-1835. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This stipple engraving of Samuel Adams was made by C. Goodman and R. Piggot sometime between about 1810 and 1835, based on a painting by the artist Copley. It is held in the Library of Congress's Biographical File collection.

Why it matters

Made decades after Adams's death but based on a portrait likely made during or near his lifetime, this engraving helped shape how later generations pictured one of the key figures of the American Revolution. It shows how printmakers reproduced paintings to spread images of famous historical figures widely.

Look closer

  • Why might an engraver choose to copy an existing painting rather than create a new portrait?
  • What does the formal, dark clothing and plain background suggest about how Adams was meant to be remembered?
  • How might an engraving made after someone's death differ from a portrait made while they were alive?

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

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