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of Arran, and received letters of legitima- tion 1512. He was comptroller of the nouse- hold and the favourite of King James V. of Scotland, and was af terwards appointed the master of the king's works, and em- ployed in the repairs and alterations of the palaces at Stirling and Linlithgow, and some other works of importance. He was charged in 1539 with inventing engines to assassinate the King, and with embezzle- ment in his office, treasons which he could not be brought to confess, and was after a trial beheaded at Edinburgh, in September 1540.
• HAMILTON, Gavin, history and por- trait painter. He was descended from the Hamiltons of Murdieston, Fifeshire, an ancient Scotch family, but was born in the town of Lanark in 1730. There is no account of his education. He went early in life to Rome, where he spent the greater part of his days, and was looked up to in all matters of art. He was for a short time resident in London about 1752. and was in 1755 a member of the Artists* Committee appointed to establish a royal academy. He was devoted to the study of historic art, but was persuaded to try portrait, and about this time painted the Duchess oi Hamilton and her sister, the Countess of Coventry, two celebrated beauties. These portraits are engraved in mezzo-tint ; and nis por- traits of Dawkins and Wood, the discoverers of Palmyra, are engraved ty Hall. Soon after he went back to Rome, only returning to England, after many years' absence, to take possession of a considerable family estate, which he inherited in 1783 on the death of his elder brother. His tastes were pure and founded on classic study, his drawing good but timid ; his colour and light and shade weak. He painted several large historical subjects, among them — ' Achilles dragging the body of Hector at his chariot wheels, 7 ' Andromache weep- ing over the body of Hector/ both pictures engraved ; and an ' Apollo/ presented to the city of London by Alderman Boydell, a single figure, above life-size, well and solialy painted, but heavy in colour, which was exhibited at the International Exhibition, 1862. He also painted, about 1794, an apartment in the Villa Borghese at Rome, in compartments, representing the story of Pans. While residing at Rome he sent classical subjects for exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1770-72-76, and for the last time in 1788. He was engaged at Rome in excavating for antiquities, com- mencing the diggings at Hadrian's villa, about 1769, and was fortunate both there and in other places to find some fine speci- mens of antique sculpture, which for some time graced the Townley and other galleries, and are some of them now in the collections at the British Museum. He published a 194
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volume containing 40 prints. 'Schola Italica Picturae,' from the works of the great Italian masters. Many of his own pictures are also engraved. He died at Rome in the summer of 1797, his death occasioned, it is said, by anxiety on the entry of the French.
HAMILTON, James, still-life painter. Bora at Murdieston, Fifeshire, and probably of the same family as Gavin Hamilton. He practised in the tune of Charles I. and ex- celled in still-life, painting birds and fruit. On the usurpation of Cromwell he left this country and settled at Brussels, where he lived till nearly 80 years old. He had three sons, born and educated on the Con- tinent, who were painters. John George was an animal painter of great ability, whose works will be found in the Berlin Gallery and the galleries of the Belvidere Palace at Vienna. Philip Ferdinand, a painter of cattle and still-life, whose works are also in the Belvidere Palace ; and Charles William, several of whose paint- ings are in the royal collections of the King of Bavaria. In the Vienna catalogues these artists are distinguished as * Von Hamilton.' They cannot be claimed as of the English school.
HAMILTON, Hugh Douglas, R.H. A., portrait painter. He was born m Dublin about 1734, and studied under James Manning in the art schools of the Dublin Academy. He commenced practice there early in life, and was successful in his crayon portraits, drawn in a slight but pleasing manner. Tempted by his success ne came to London, took lodgings in Pall Mall, and was extensively employed, the King and the Queen sitting to him. His portraits were of small size, oval, the prevailing tone grey, finished with red and black chalk, and distinguished by the clever expression of the eyes ; his usual price nine guineas. In 1765 ne gained a Society of Arts' premium of 60 guineas, was admitted a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists, and exhibited 12 chalk portraits at their gallery in Spring Gardens. After a very successful practice in London, he went to Rome in 1778, and settling there, painted many of the English and Irish visitors to that city. While there, by the advice of Flaxman, R.A., he tried oil, and from that time con- fined his art to that material, which he soon mastered. In 1787 he was in Florence, and sent home two portraits, which were exhi- bited at the Academy, and in 1791 a portrait from Rome. On his return, soon after, he settled in Dublin, where he was elected a member of the Academy, and practised there as a portrait painter up to 1800. He had many eminent sitters, and in oil maintained his early reputation. His works were marked by truth of outline, agreeable expression and good grouping,
