You know the name. You definitely know the signature. But when you actually look at pictures of John Hancock, the guy doesn't quite match the legend of the "flamboyant smuggler" we hear about in history class.
Honestly, he looks kinda... plain.
If you’ve ever scrolled through the National Portrait Gallery or the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, you've probably seen him. He’s usually sitting there in a dark blue coat, looking at a ledger, with a wig that’s modest by 18th-century standards. It’s a weird vibe for a man who was arguably the richest guy in the colonies.
The Copley Portrait: A PR Stunt in Oil
The most famous visual we have of him was painted by John Singleton Copley in 1765.
Copley was the go-to guy for the Boston elite. If you wanted to look important, you went to Copley. But Hancock’s 1765 portrait is a masterclass in "image management." He’s wearing a dark blue frock coat with some gold braid, sure, but he’s sitting in an outdated Queen Anne chair. There are no piles of money. No ships in the background. Just a man and his business books.
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Why would a man who owned a bright yellow carriage and drank the finest Madeira wine want to look like a humble accountant?
Basically, Boston was a powder keg.
The Stamp Act riots were in full swing. Angry mobs were literally pulling down the houses of wealthy officials. Hancock was a master of reading the room. He needed to look like a "man of the people"—a hardworking merchant who cared about the economy, not just a rich kid who inherited a shipping empire.
When you see this specific picture of John Hancock, you’re looking at a carefully constructed political brand. It's the 1700s version of a billionaire wearing a grey t-shirt to a congressional hearing.
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Tiny Treasures: The Peale Miniatures
Not every image of Hancock was a massive canvas meant to hang over a fireplace.
In 1776, right as the Revolution was hitting its stride, Charles Willson Peale painted a miniature of him. These things are tiny. We’re talking about 1.5 inches tall.
- It's an oval watercolor on ivory.
- Hancock is wearing a purplish-brown coat.
- He looks a bit softer here, maybe a little more tired.
- The Rhode Island School of Design Museum holds this one today.
These miniatures were the "wallet photos" of the Revolutionary era. They were intimate. You’d wear them in a locket or a brooch. It shows a side of Hancock that isn't about the Continental Congress or the "King Hancock" persona. It's just... John.
The Evolution of the "Hancock Look"
As he got older and the war ended, the pictures of John Hancock changed.
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The later engravings—many of which you’ll see in history textbooks—tend to emphasize his role as the Governor of Massachusetts. He gets a bit heavier. The jawline softens. But he never loses that sense of "dramatic flair" that his signature suggests.
Speaking of that signature, did you know people actually analyze his handwriting to understand his "visual" personality?
Graphologists point out that his letters tend to rise toward the end of the line. It’s a theatrical trait. Even if he dressed down for Copley, the way he put pen to paper screamed for attention. He wanted you to look. He wanted to be remembered.
The "Hancock" We See Today
Most of the stock photos or digital recreations you find online are actually based on just three or four original sittings.
- The 1765 Copley: The "Humble Merchant."
- The 1770-72 Copley: The "Radical Whig" (waist-length, very similar to the first).
- The 1776 Peale: The "War-Time President."
- The Post-War Engravings: The "Elder Statesman."
It’s easy to get confused because so many 19th-century artists made copies of these. If you see a picture where he looks like a superhero or a stiff statue, it’s probably a later reimagining. The real Hancock was a man of contradictions. He was a smuggler who loved the law, a millionaire who led a populist revolt, and a fashion icon who knew when to wear a plain blue coat.
If you’re looking for a high-res version for a project or just because you’re a history nerd, the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston have the "gold standard" digital archives.
What to do next
- Check the provenance: If you find a "new" portrait of Hancock, look for the artist's name. If it’s not Copley or Peale, take it with a grain of salt.
- Compare the ledgers: Look closely at the 1765 Copley portrait. The date "1765" is actually written in the ledger he's holding.
- Visit in person: If you’re ever in Boston, go to the MFA. Seeing the scale of the original Copley canvas changes how you perceive his "humble" look—it’s actually quite imposing.