John Hancock

Art Historical Context

This portrait print of John Hancock, created by an unidentified artist in 1776, captures one of America's most iconic Founding Fathers at the height of the Revolutionary fervor. Hancock, a wealthy Boston merchant and Massachusetts statesman, is best remembered as the first and most prominent signer of the Declaration of Independence—his bold, oversized signature became a symbol of defiance against British rule. Produced in the very year of that historic document, this image likely served as a timely tribute to his leadership in the patriot cause. As a print from the Smithsonian American Art M...