John Singleton Copley (1770 to 72). Samuel Adams [oil on canvas]. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This painting commemorates Samuel Adams’ confrontation of the political authority in the territory, Governor Hutchinson. After the Boston Tea Party, where British soldiers were responsible for the deaths of five American citizens, Adams argues that all occupying British forces be withdrawn from the city based on reason and the rule of law as reflected by his gesture to the documents at the bottom of the canvas. While modelling is illusionary and the rendering fully qualifies as Naturalism, this painting is not idealized. This supports the relatability and urgency of its subject matter. 

A strong argument could be made for a complementary orangish-red versus bluish-green color strategy based on both value and purity. Dense and slightly diluted reds could make the browns, reverse these values to build the parchments, heavily tinted peaches could make the flesh tones and the background has a distinct greenish cast to it. The discordance in color created between Adams’ clothing and the background reinforces their value-based spatial separation. The use of value overall possesses more than vestiges from tonal treatments from the previous century in terms of form and emotion. 

The sharp formal focus and intent gaze of Adams generates primary interest. The directional thrust of his gesture directs residual attention towards the idealization represented by the documents piled at the bottom of the canvas. His gesture, stance and expression communicate quite clearly that he knows his demands are justified and based on reason as established by the very laws that govern the territory. A challenge is documented, not an attempt at intimidation. He is basing his demand for the removal of a militant police force on reason, not an emotional reaction. He carries in his right hand a charter signed by local citizens who base their call to action and support of Adams’ arguments on rationality, not a violent outburst of mob-rule. In this way and in a more general sense, this painting is consistent with the ideals of the Enlightenment.