William Copley
William Copley was an American painter, art collector, serigrapher, art dealer, writer and gallerist (1919–1996). He was born in New York City and died in Key West.
Also recorded as William Nelson Copley · William N. Copley · Bill Copley · CPLY
William Copley
Paolo Monti · Available in the BEIC digital library and uploaded in partnership with BEIC Foundation. The image comes from the Fondo Paolo Monti, owned by BEIC and located in the Civico Archivio Fotografico of Mi · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1919. · New York City.
- Died
- 1996. · Key West.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- painter, art collector, serigrapher, art dealer, writer, gallerist, publisher and draftsperson.
- Education
- Yale University and Phillips Academy.
- Languages
- English.
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Documentary summary
William Copley was an American painter, art collector, serigrapher, art dealer, writer and gallerist (1919–1996). He was born in New York City and died in Key West.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2578319
In this article
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
Copley worked between 1919 and 1996 across painter, art collector, serigrapher, art dealer and writer and 4 further recorded occupations. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.
William Copley studied at Yale University and Phillips Academy. The recorded working language is English. Work by William Copley is recorded in the collections of Städel Museum, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Museum of Modern Art, Tate and Whitney Museum of American Art.
He also worked under the names C.P.L.Y, CPLY and Copley, William N. The authorities additionally record the headings William Nelson Copley, William N. Copley, Bill Copley, CPLY and C.P.L.Y. His recorded language was English. He married Noma Copley.
Identity
Identity
William Copley is recorded as draftsperson.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1919–1996
The full dated record · 3 entries
1919
William Copley was born 24 January 1919.
1996
Dies at Key West.
1996
William Copley died at Key West.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
New York City.
Birth place
Key West.
Death place
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
institutional register
Wikidata, structured authority record Q2578319: William CopleyWikimedia Foundation
General reference
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Studied at
1- Yale UniversityOrganisation
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
William Copley is connected to 4 other published records in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
Recognition and collections
Work by William Copley is
Städel Museum, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Museum of Modern Art and Tate
Within the Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
19,183 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- William Charles Thomas DobsonArtist
- William CheseldenArtist
- William Clarke WontnerArtist
- William ColdstreamArtist
- William Cornelius Van HorneArtist
- William Cornwallis HarrisArtist
- William CottonArtist
- William CrawfordArtist
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