Nathaniel Dance-Holland

Selfportrait of Nathaniel Dance-Holland, circa 1773.

Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1st Baronet (8 May 1735 – 15 October 1811) was a notable English portrait painter and later a politician.

The third son of architect George Dance the Elder, Dance (he added the 'Holland' suffix later in life) studied art under Francis Hayman, and like many contemporaries also studied in Italy. There he met Angelica Kauffmann, and painted several historic and classical paintings.

On his return to England, he became a successful portrait painter. With Hayman and his architect brother George Dance the Younger, he was one of the founder members of the Royal Academy in 1768.

He was commissioned to paint King George III and his queen, plus Captain James Cook and actor David Garrick. His group portrait The Pybus Family (1769) is in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia.^[1]

James Cook, portrait by Nathaniel Dance, c. 1775, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

In 1790, he gave up his artistic career and became Member of Parliament for East Grinstead in Sussex. He served this seat until 1802 when he moved to Great Bedwyn, serving until 1806. In 1807 he returned to East Grinstead, serving until his death in 1811. He was made a baronet in 1800, which became extinct upon his death.

He was married to Harriet, the widow of Thomas Dummer (died 1781), for whom his brother had designed the house at Cranbury Park, near Winchester.^[2] They lived at Little Wittenham Manor in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire).^[3] His wife survived him until 1825.^[2]

His nephew, Sir Nathaniel Dance (1748–1827), was a well-known commander of British East India Company ships.

Notes

1. ^ www.ngv.vic.gov.au
2. ^ ^{a b} "Horninghold, Gartree Hundred". Victoria County History of Leicestershire. http://www.horninghold.org.uk/history/victoria%20county%20history%20of%20leicestershire_horninghold.pdf. Retrieved 23 September 2009. 
3. ^ Ford, David Nash (2008). "Sir Nathaniel Dance Holland (1735-1811)". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/ndholland.html. Retrieved 16 June 2011. 

References

• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Leigh Rayment's List of Baronets

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Nathaniel Dance-Holland

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Richard Ford George Medley	Member of Parliament for East Grinstead 1790–1800 With: William Hamilton Nisbet 1790–96 James Strange from 1796	Succeeded by (Parliament of Great Britain abolished)
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by (self, in Parliament of Great Britain)	Member of Parliament for East Grinstead 1801–1802 With: James Strange	Succeeded by Sir Henry Strachey, Bt Daniel Giles
Preceded by John Wodehouse Sir Robert Buxton, Bt	Member of Parliament for Great Bedwyn 1802–1806 With: Sir Robert Buxton, Bt	Succeeded by James Henry Leigh Viscount Stopford
Preceded by Sir Henry Strachey, Bt Daniel Giles	Member of Parliament for East Grinstead 1807–1811 With: Charles Rose Ellis	Succeeded by Richard Wellesley Charles Rose Ellis

Persondata
Name	Dance-Holland, Nathaniel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	8 May 1735
Place of birth
Date of death	15 October 1811
Place of death