In 1767, the year this portrait was painted, Ann Dumaresq (1746–1824) married William Turner, a much admired dancing master known in Boston for his charm and skills at organizing concerts and other musical events. The Turners eventually had seven children. After the sobering experience of the Revolution, William Turner gave up dancing to become a successful wine merchant.

Copley began painting in pastel in about 1758. The medium was very much in vogue in Europe at the time, made popular by artists such as the Swiss painter Jean-Etienne Liotard, with whom Copley corresponded about the technique.