Lake scene with mountains

1774–1815 · Workplace

London

c. 1800 – 1815

Last years: debts and disappointments

The Napoleonic Wars bring hard times, the house on George Street is expensive to keep up, and a talented son’s education is costly. The equestrian portrait of the Prince Regent brings no return and other canvases that took years of labour go unsold; Copley dies heavily in debt.

1810

A bad fall keeps him from painting for a month

In 1810 Copley has a bad fall that keeps him from painting for a month; he incessantly bewails the loss of his Boston property. On 11 December his wife writes that every difficulty of living is increasing while the advantages of his profession are decreasing.

October 1811

Asks his son-in-law for a £600 loan

In distress, Copley writes to Gardiner Greene asking for an additional loan of £600. On 4 March 1812 he adds that he is still pursuing his profession in the hope that a proper amount will be realized from his works, to himself or his family, but that for now all pursuits that are not among the essentials of life are at a stand.

August 1815

A stroke at dinner and his last illness

A note of 18 August reports that Copley suffered a paralytic stroke at dinner; he seemed at first to recover, and in late August his prognosis was favourable to painting again. A second stroke proved fatal: according to his daughter Mary, he was perfectly resigned, willing to die, and firm in his trust in God.

9 September 1815

Died