Where can I see Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723)?

Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723) is held by National Gallery of Ireland.

What movement is Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723)?

Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723) is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723)

Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne (1639-1723) is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist William Hogarth. It dates from 1740 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland. Executed in oil around 1740, this portrait presents Gustavus Hamilton, the second Viscount Boyne, in a composed outdoor setting.

About this work

Overview

Executed in oil around 1740, this portrait presents Gustavus Hamilton, the second Viscount Boyne, in a composed outdoor setting.

Executed in oil around 1740, this portrait presents Gustavus Hamilton, the second Viscount Boyne, in a composed outdoor setting. The composition places the Irish‑born British statesman in a long brown coat over a blue waistcoat, holding his hat, against a sky mottled with clouds and a hint of foliage at the lower left. The work reflects the refined elegance typical of mid‑eighteenth‑century portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

Gustavus Hamilton (1639‑1723) is rendered as a dignified figure of public service, his attire and pose signalling status and authority. The inclusion of a hat in his hand and the natural backdrop suggest a genteel confidence, aligning the sitter with the genteel ideals of aristocratic virtue prevalent in the period.

Technique & Style

The painting employs the smooth, luminous handling of oil that characterises the Rococo aesthetic, with careful attention to texture in the fabrics and subtle modelling of light on the figure. Hogarth’s brushwork balances detail—such as the crispness of the stockings and shoes—with a softer atmospheric treatment of the sky and foliage.

History & Provenance

Attributed to William Hogarth, an English artist renowned for both satirical series and formal portraiture, the work likely entered a private collection shortly after its completion. Its survival in a condition that retains the original palette offers insight into Hogarth’s lesser‑known capacity for conventional aristocratic portraiture in the early 1740s.