William N. Copley (1939-1996) was an American painter, writer and gallerist, who takes a special and highly individual position within postwar art.

Linked in content to European surrealism, not least because of his close friendship with Duchamp, Magritte, Ernst and others, his work stylistically exhibits elements of American Pop Art and is often seen as a predecessor of it. Thematically, his narrative images revolve around sexual desire, the relationship between male and female sexuality, and their moral implications in postwar U.S. society.

Copley’s work has been recognized increasingly in recent years, most recently in a comprehensive retrospective at the Menil Collection, Houston and the Fondazione Prada in Milan. In December 2018, a presentation was dedicated to his 1950s works at the ICA Miami.