- 183
William Hoare of Bath, R.A.
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description
- William Hoare of Bath, R.A.
- Portrait of Elizabeth Hamilton, later Countess of Warwick (1720–1800), and her brother William Hamilton (1730–1803), the eldest daughter and youngest son of Lord Archibald Hamilton
- inscribed, upper left: Elizabeth Eldest Daughter to Lord / Archibald Hamilton & William his / Youngest Son.
inscribed on the reverse: This picture belongs to/ The Right Honble Lord Brooke/ is lent to the Honble Lady Frances/ Harpur who desires it may/ be sent to Warwick Castle/ at her death. Of/ Countess of Warwick &/ Sir William Hamilton/ Copied from the old canvas
inventory number 10 etched into the reverse - oil on canvas
- 91.5 by 71.8 cm.; 36 by 28 1/4 in.
Provenance
Commissioned by the sitters' father, Lord Archibald Hamilton (1673–1754);
By descent to his daughter Elizabeth, who married Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick (1719–1773) in 1742;
By descent to their son, George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816), who lent the picture to his elder sister, Lady Frances, who married Sir Henry Harpur, 6th Bt.;
Returned to her nephew, Henry Richard Greville, 3rd Earl of Warwick, at Warwick Castle in 1825;
Thence by descent.
By descent to his daughter Elizabeth, who married Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick (1719–1773) in 1742;
By descent to their son, George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746–1816), who lent the picture to his elder sister, Lady Frances, who married Sir Henry Harpur, 6th Bt.;
Returned to her nephew, Henry Richard Greville, 3rd Earl of Warwick, at Warwick Castle in 1825;
Thence by descent.
Exhibited
Wellesley (Mass.), Davis Museum, on long term loan.
Literature
Anon., Inventory of the contents of Warwick Castle, ms., 1900, hanging in the Dressing Room.
Condition
The canvas has been relined, and is stable. The paint surface has not been too pressed, and is in good condition with restoration limited to areas of infilling of craquelure in the faces and a few small scattered retouchings only. The details of the drapery and inscription upper left are well- preserved. This lot is offered in a decorative gilt frame, in fine condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This double portrait depicts the future Sir William Hamilton, the famous diplomat, antiquarian and British Ambassador to the Kingdom of Naples, when a boy with his elder sister Elizabeth; two of the six children of Lord Archibald Hamilton (an officer in the Royal Navy and the youngest son of Anne Duchess of Hamilton (d.1716)), and his third wife Lady Jane Hamilton, daughter of the Earl of Abercorn. In 1742 Elizabeth married Francis Greville, 1st Earl of Warwick, who, after a Grand Tour that lasted five years, made significant improvements to the family seat, Warwick Castle. These included the remodelling of the landscape around the Castle to designs by Capability Brown, for which he commissioned Canaletto to paint a record in his celebrated picture of Warwick, as well as the refurbishment of much of the interior of the Castle in the Gothic style, including a new dining room designed by Lightoler, which was built to celebrate his elevation to the Earldom of Warwick in 1759.
The new dining room was decorated with two magnificent portraits, with elaborately carved and richly gilded frames, representing Frederick, Prince of Wales, by Jonathan Richardson, and his wife Princess Augusta, with her infant son, the future George III, by Charles Philips. These portraits had originally been given to Lord Archibald Hamilton as a gift by Prince Frederick, and were left by Hamilton to his son-in-law, George, 1st Earl of Warwick, on his death in 1754. The Hamiltons' had close links with the Prince of Wales. Lady Jane Hamilton was the Prince's mistress and her husband Lord Archibald held several posts in the household. Indeed the commission for this portrait would probably have come as a result of their intimacy with the Prince and Princess of Wales. On his return from Italy Hoare is known to have had connections with the Prince's household and drew him in pastel.