William Hamilton

The recorded working language is English. Places of work recorded in the authority are London and Rome. Work by William Hamilton is recorded in the collections of Art Institute of Chicago, Tate, National Galleries Scotland, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Hamilton was born in Chelsea, London, but travelled and worked in Italy with Antonio Zucchi for several years. He trained first as an architectural draftsman, but soon moved to theatrical portraits and scenes from plays. Hamilton became an associate member of the Royal Academy from 1784, and was made a full member in 1789. • Illustration — The Apotheosis of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette is pictured on the right whilst Élisabeth of France receives the martyr's crown

Hamilton became very well known for his paintings depicting episodes from the plays of Shakespeare and for his illustrations of poems. He was commissioned to create works for John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery, Thomas Macklin's Bible and Robert Bowyer's English History. These were widely reproduced in popular prints. Francesco Bartolozzi engraved a number of Hamilton's best known works. He also painted modern events, such as the execution of Marie Antoinette, in the manner of epic historical drama. Several battle scenes were also exhibited including The destruction of the Spanish battery ships before Gibraltar in the night of the 13th of Sept. last (1783) and Defence of the Breach at Jean d'Acre by Sir Sidney Smith (1800). Hamilton's style shows the influence of the cult of sentiment typical of the period, resembling the work of Angelica Kauffman. He also sometimes adopts aspects of Fuseli's dramatic distortions in composition and figure drawing.

• Illustration — King Edgar's First Interview with Queen Elfrida, 1774 • Illustration — Sarah Siddons as Euphrasia, 1780 • Illustration — Joan and the Furies, from Henry VI, Part 1 • Illustration — John Philip Kemble as Richard III, c. 1787 • Illustration — Vertumnus and Pomona, 1789 • Illustration — Christ and the Woman of Samaria, 1792 • Illustration — The carousing of Sir Toby Belch and Sir Anthony Aguecheek, 1792 • Illustration — Isabella appealing to Angelo, 1793 • Illustration — Edwy and Elgiva, 1793 • Illustration — Marie Antoinette Being Taken to Her Execution, 1794 (Musée de la Révolution française) • Illustration — The Wolves Descending from the Alps, 1794 • Illustration — Olivia's proposal, c. 1796 • Illustration — Prospero and Ariel, 1797 • Illustration — A Scene from Twelfth Night, c. 1797 • Illustration — The Duke of York discovering his son Aumerle's treachery, late 1790s

The following is established of the heading itself.