Portrait of the Reverend Samuel Madden (1686-1765), Philanthropist

Hickey employs a realistic approach typical of late‑Georgian portraiture, rendering Madden’s curly hair, brown eyes, and furrowed brows with meticulous brushwork. The brown jacket with a white collar is modeled in soft, layered oil, while the dark background isolates the sitter, enhancing the three‑dimensional effect.

Trained at the Royal Society schools in Dublin, Hickey travelled widely, spending periods in Bath, Lisbon, and other European and Asian locales before returning to Ireland. The painting entered the National Gallery of Ireland’s holdings, where it remains on display as a representative example of his mature work.

The portrait was produced at a time when Irish portraitists were increasingly catering to the educated elite, documenting clergy and benefactors who shaped public life. Hickey’s familial connection to sculpture—his brother John was a sculptor—situates him within a broader artistic network of the period.