Introduction
Jonathan Edwards was born in 1703 in America. He was a good child at his birth and had an interest in sciences, intellectual issues, and spiritual matters. He studied theology after his graduation at the age of 17. During this time, he preached and tutored at Yale while serving together with his grandfather in the Northampton ministry. After his grandfather’s death in the year1729, Jonathan took over the sole leadership of the congregations.
This was when he gained a wide group of followers as a result of his forceful preaching looped with powerful logic in his communication to his congregation. John Singleton, on the other hand, was born in Boston in 1738, about thirty-five after Edwards had been born. Copley had an interest in art, where he enjoyed portrait painting of all kinds. After his birth, his stepfather Peter Pelham influenced his work a great deal.
As a result of this influence, he painted both the young and the aged with his emphasis on the setting as the only tool that he thought could illustrate the desired mood in the portrait. This made him gain the great support of those that he sent information containing his portrait of painting. As a result, Singleton had various invitations both locally and internationally, which made him gather support to tour these places to practice his expertise.
Similarities in the Wors of John Copley and Jonathan Edwards
Both Edward and Copley had role models who motivated them in the initiation of their work. Edwards had his work influenced when he worked in partnership with his grandfather and Solomon Stoddard in 1727. Similarly, Copley was influenced by his stepfather in the painting profession. This provided a good foundation for the development of their work and in their personality.
During their work, these two characters left their native lands to be refugees in Boston. Copley had portraits of John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and others. Though he lived in Boston, he got wearied when he realized that painting was only valued because it was useful in craft information. The demand of the public on only concerned with ideas in arts in 1774 made Singleton go to London. This gave him an opportunity to gain experience and, on his return journey, had a grand scale of historical religious painting.
Edwards was similarly dismissed in 1750 by his congregation from Northampton. This was as a result of his stern conditions on religious beliefs and his inability to bend the controversy over tests for membership of his church congregation. Copley’s house was surrounded by a mob and was made to sail to America.
They both initiated work that led to an early landmark in the history of their respective native land. During the time of John Copley, in London, he managed to exhibit his famous Watson and shark paintings which depicted a real-life scene at Havana Harbor. This scenario of Watson, his friend who tried to rescue him, has since then been considered a contemporary historical painting full of great awakening to New England. At the time his congregation dismissed him from Northampton, Edwards Jonathan similarly was later called to lead New Jersey College, where he served as the president.
The tour of both led to a great transformation in their work. According to research, Singleton’s works were explored in terms of the experiments that were done within the visit of the portrait. This made Copley change from colonial to an English portrait when he went to London. His thoughts and objects gave political symbols that presented the dilemma faced by American colonists during 1775.
Singleton’s political subjects indicated a loyalty that the Americans had for their motherland even when independence was declared despite the political crisis that rose in 1775. Edwards similarly managed to complete his masterpiece on theology during his stay in America. This theological concept was concerned with the freedom of the will to allow people to express their opinions freely on how they desired to be ruled.
Both Edward and Copley attached the aesthetic of their moral description of beauty on emotions where their agents were attracted through beauty. These moral values were considered as the only way goodness could manifest itself. Edward argues that personal change should start in the central dynamics of the subject. Here the individuals are to see there as the affection that could enable men to be on their toes thus get going. As a result, human experience has to be felt so as to cause attraction and repulsion to bring clarity in the reflection.
Edwards spearheaded a legacy on personal religious transformation. In the writing that constituted the emergence of the great awakening and a further swapping of the colonies and later it brought great revivals in America. The major focus was on the personal transformation of the individuals to acts as the mainstay of American. His argument was that experience obtained by interacting with the unity of the subjects, and the environment required a continued reconstruction. Copley similarly gave a depiction of the environment and what was happening in his paintings. These relationships between the portrait and the environment gave an appeal to the need to protect and conserve the available resources. This gives a good similarity in the campaign of these two artists and writers (Richard, K. 1983).
The problems which occurred were addressed by Edward using religious affections. A new convert had to be evaluated using a particular twelve criteria to assess their validity based on their faith and commitment. Pastor’s work was only to help the individual discern his validity, and the judgment was left upon the convert who had the right of either accepting or refusing the offer. Copley similarly allowed the individuals, including ladies and gentlemen, both young and aged, to make their own choices. In his painting, his sitters were depicted to be relaxed and without any dilemma to worry about.
Edward believed that God was the only one who could disclose divine beauty to an individual and had to reorder the individual’s moral right (Richard, K. 1983). This meant that virtues and Christian satisfaction originated from moral practices instilled in individuals after their conversion. As a theologian, Edward believed that the root of moral transformation was religious conversion which delivers one from considering self to be important. These same virtues are illustrated by Copley in his articles, where he advocates for moral practices from divine revelation.
Historically Copley experienced hard moments due to Napoleonic wars, which made him depressed and disappointed. He reacted when the household was expensive, and Copley could not pay for his son’s education. At some point, his wife commented that their management was admirable though their standard of living made borrowing inheritable. In his pictures, he depicts what the Americans thought and believed, calumniating from the Revolutionary war.
His portrait thus helped many people understand their culture and how it was influenced by war. Edwards, however, believed that moral practices provided the best conviction on how one could live. As a result, Jonathan foreshadowed the importance of pragmatism in America and its tradition. In connection, Edward argues that the Love of one’s own family or nation is more important and expensive than Love for self. The implication of this in his novelist is for people to defend their country. Edward called those who concentrated on self hypocrites since they were self-preoccupied (Richard, K. 1983).
John Copley’s work had outstanding realistic aspects with psychological applications. This made them be considered as the finest portrait during the colonial period. Whereas others used a flattering approach, Copley used direct observable and did not demean his observers. Edward, however, used an intellectual approach that received critics from rationalists. His emotional collapse since he could not support himself and his family. Edwards preaching on the importance of individual identity helped the Americans to specialize, which finally gave birth to a new independence.
John’s work depicted the beauty and, at a point, had portraits of a handsome woman with deeply felt steady convictions natural environment. Fortunately, this emphasis gave birth to urban life and the Love of its industrial products.
Both there writers and artists received criticism for their work (Richard, K. 1983). At the end of their life, for instance, criticism of Copley’s painting was very harsh and led to his regret of where he left America. His late paintings were horrible, and those who visited him thought that he had outlived his faculty of painting as it was evident on the lamentable of miserable portraits: The same scenario befalls Edwards making certain members of his ministerial work mount open attacks on his theological roots.
During the time of their exile, they both acquired initiative and outstanding performance which lead to their promotion. Copley was elected in 1779 to be a member of the Royal Academy, where he made elaborate historical paints than portraits. Jonathan similarly was elected to be the president of the College of New Jersey in 1757.
In Edwards’s work, he identifies that there are similarities between the various moral behaviors and religious beliefs. He, therefore, advocates that justice should consider these two aspects and affirm their conscience. The importance of the relationship between an individual and the group should therefore not be sidelined since it affects their affection, gratitude and sympathy, Copley addresses this relationship in the same manner wherein his writing advocates respect for one another so as to ensure hormonal living.
Edward relates in his teaching concerning God to be having complete autonomy. He depicts the occurrence of centrifugal and centripetal forces that pull the universe together to be under God’s control. This virtue makes God the center stage of existence thus deserving expended virtue that provides his ultimate beauty. Copley on the other attached beauty to aesthetic. He considers aesthetic to exhibit conservation, elegant with linear characteristics. According to Copley he thought that beauty could only be obtained from the dressing styles. This made him emphasize his painting of the makings which were being imported to America.
They both emphasized self knowledge as the driving force in their work. Lord Lyndhurst, who is Copley; son, believe that his father learnt on his own since he had never seen any decent picture. As a result, Copley was is believed to had been industrious, adventures and loved boarding and self pit, Edwards on the other hand believed in predestination and absolute dependence on God and not on man. Despite the two artists having received orientation by different people their self effort gave them dominance after the death of their mentors.
Differences in the Work of Jonathan Edwards and John Copley
Edwards used forceful preaching and powerful logic to gain the support of his followers. These abilities were very effective since they were the best traditions that were seen during that time. Copley, on the other hand, used setting to bring out the desired mood in most of his portrait drawings of the various famous artists and his sitters. He therefore had ladies posed before furniture.
John Copley was born in 1738 and was influenced by Mezzotints of his stepfather. He was concerned with portraits of the local artists. Copley was basically concerned with artistically painting. Edwards on the other hand was a theologian and a metaphysician. The interests of Edwards were scientific beliefs, academic intelligence and spiritual contest. Where as Copley was influenced by his stepfather, Edward got his foundation through his grandfather by 1727 and worked with him as a colleague in the ministry.
According to Edward, one could only apprehend reality his personality of the knower is fully engaged. The mind is therefore seen to contribute actively to perception. Copley however pegged the understanding of his sitters on their ability to relate reality with what the painting illustrated on the portrait.
Highly emotional transformations and restoration of lives enabled Edward to discern between what was valid and what was counterfeit (Hyun, S.1976). He therefore valued divine grace as the only way the saints could be preserved. Any one who back sled to the older days was believed not to have been converted fully by self conviction. Copley, however, based his reasoning on goodness on the humanity, which he considered to be the core foundation of moral values information of characters of the individual in the community.
Although Edwards was stern when he demanded strict orthodoxy and unchallenged zeal from his church member, Copley used a modest style to illustrate his work (Hyun, S.1976). The evaluation for church membership which made him dismissed in 1750. Surround his house evicted to America.
The writer and the artist had their work facilitated by academic training John received formal artistic training before he settled in portrait and painting as a profession just i the same manner Edward’s is recorded to have received Berkeley and Locke which were best columnist tradition.
Edwards was an American theologian and metaphysician, whereas John Copley was an artist who did portrait painting. As a preacher, Edwards had to study theology so as to understand and deliver his sermon well at the age of 20 in the city of New York 20 years that is between 1722-1723 just as John.
Singleton lived between 1738 and1815 where as Jonathan lived between 1703-1758 whereas Jonathan lived between 1703 and 1758. These were deferent times in the American history marked with different chronological demand (Hyun, S. 1976). For example at the time singleton was born. America was going through colonial rule where the natives had no say on their desires. This made him focus major on colonial portraiture.
Historical Background Information
John Singleton Copley was born on the 3rd of July 1738 in Boston to Richard and Mary Copley. His parents came to Boston in 1736 and were engaged in trade which provided them with income for stable living and satisfaction (Flexner, J. 2003). Immediately after his birth, his father, who was referred to as tobacconist, went to West Indies while in ill health where he died. Although his schooling is not known very well, he is believed to have received a fair education from his stepfather. His portrait work began at the age of fourteen after the death of his step father and obtained an encouragement stimulating his further work.
Through various exhibitions of his work Copley obtained fame in England in 1766 from the portrait that depicted his half-brother playing with a squirrel (Hyun, S. 1976). By June 1774, Copley toured London and Europe, where he was taken to the Royal Academy and refused to take part in what he considered that was not right. Despite Copley being a rich artist, his last 15 years were miserable, his management skills failed, and borrowing became inevitable in his life. His health later deteriorated and he died on the 9th of September 1815 in London.
Edwards was born in 1703 as an American theologian (Flexner, J. 2003). He is cited no have been a precious child who love science, knowledge, and spiritual matters. By the age of 17, he had graduated from Yale, where he studied theology and joined ministry in 1722 for two years. Thereafter Jonathan lectured in New York for 3 years before joining his grandfather in the ministry. Edwards’s major beliefs were on predestination and absolute dependence on God’s divine grace.
Between 1734 and 1735 he initiated a great awakening in the religious revival of his church in Northampton. He used very strict and stern rules concerning orthodoxy and Christian Zeal, which lead to his dismissal in 1750 by his congregation. Despite this, he still had a heart to care for others and literally went to care for his native America. By 1754 he brought freedom of the will and was later called to be the president of New Jersey College. Edwards died in 1757 after a great emphasis on personal religious experience.
During Copley tour to Rome, he considered it significant and a great joy to force the election of the pope. In his capacity, he considered that year to be the year of Jubilee. At the same time, he planned to study the life styles of the Romans.
Conclusion
Edwards was basically concerned with spiritual concept despite the fact that he loved intellect. He gives four major relations which he used to help him describe the process of discernment. These relations include; relationship between God and the human person, how affection and its proper objects could be realized, and the various appropriate conducts that religious affections was considered to bring, and the infinite beauty of God with regard to finite values that man has. Edwards explores the use of either two or more of these terms to judge the converts on their convictions.
John Singleton Copley, on the other hand, was an American portrait painter. He had an outstanding record in painting in which his portraits depicted a realistic psychological penetration in the minds of his sitters. As a result, his portrait paintings were considered to be the finest of the colonial era. Copley managed his work through the use of different technique that most of the contemporary English society portrait used. Most of his sitters were given a priority making them look more than what they were. His work did not involve flattering words thus making him travel within and without selling the beauty of his work.
Work Cited
Flexner, J. (2003). American Study on the Contributions of John Singleton Copley. New Yolk, USA: Richard B. Kowall.
Hyun, S. L. (1976). Mental Activity and the Perception of Beauty in Jonathan Edwards. New York, USA: Cambridge University Press.
Richard, K. (1983). An interpretative history: America abandoned, John Singleton Copley. USA. MD: University Press of America.
Thomas, F. (1993). Historical Works of John Singleton Copley. New York, USA: Fordham University Press.