Hugh Douglas Hamilton

Hugh Douglas Hamilton (c. 1734/1739 – February 10, 1808) was an Irish artist during the mid to late 18th century.

Hamilton was born in Dublin, Ireland around 1724, where he would study art under Robert West at the Dublin Society House concentrating in crayon and pastels in his early career. While residing in London in the early 1760s, Hamilton was often overwhelmed with orders, including his portraits of the British royal family such as "Queen Charlotte" (1746) and others now featured in the British Royal Collection, before traveling to Italy in 1779, where he would live in Rome and Florence for the next 12 years. Following the advice of fellow artist John Flaxman, Hamilton turned to oil paintings, later painting the portraits of many of Ireland's prominent historical figures of the period including his portrait of Dean Kirwan, which is displayed at the Royal Dublin Society, as well as continuing to be commissioned by British nobles including George John, 2nd Earl Spencer and Lady Hannah Cowper, and the exiled Charles Edward Stuart, the latter two becoming some of his best known works: "Countess Cowper" (1787) and "Lord Edward" (1785).

References

*Webb, Alfred. "A Compendium of Irish Biography: Comprising Sketches of Distinguished Irishmen and of Eminent Persons Connected with Ireland by Office or by Their Writings", New York: Lemma Publishing Corporation, 1970.