Who painted Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793)?

Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793) was painted by John Singleton Copley in 1783.

Where can I see Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793)?

Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793) is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793)?

Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793) is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793)

John Singleton Copley , 1783

Portrait of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793) is a drawing by the Romanticist artist John Singleton Copley. It dates from 1783 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This drawing, executed circa 1783 by American‑born artist John Singleton Copley, records the likeness of William Murray, Earl of Mansfield (1705–1793). The work is a quick, informal study rather than a finished oil portrait, capturing the jurist in a seated pose with a paper in his hand.

Subject & Meaning

William Murray, a Scottish lawyer and politician, held the office of Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. His reputation rests on influential decisions that shaped eighteenth‑century British law, making his representation a visual record of a key legal figure of the era.

Technique & Style

Copley employed rapid, loose graphite strokes to outline Murray’s robe, wig, and the raised platform on which he sits. The background is reduced to faint suggestions of a chair or table, emphasizing the figure’s posture and the immediacy of the sketch.

History & Provenance

Copley, who rose to prominence as a portraitist in colonial New England before moving to London in 1774, produced this drawing during his English period, when he was increasingly commissioned by the British elite. The work reflects his practice of creating preparatory studies for larger portraits or as personal records of notable sitters.

Context

The drawing belongs to a period when Copley was expanding beyond colonial portraiture into the British aristocratic market, often integrating his keen observational skill with a more restrained, documentary approach evident in this study of a high‑ranking jurist.