Description

Pastel on paper in a fine gilded frame, both in superb condition.
The sitter is, as yet, unknown. Although painted in the mid 18th century she has chosen to depicted in the high fashion of a previous century; there was a craze for this at the time.
This is a portrait of the highest calibre and the sitter is sensitively portrayed. This beautifully preserved example of Hoare’s work demonstrates why he was so in demand by contemporaries and considered the finest exponent of the ‘darling modish study’ of pastel.
WILLIAM HOARE of Bath RA (c. 1707 – 12 December 1792) was a British portraitist, painter and printmaker, noted for his pastels. Born near Eye, Suffolk, Hoare received a gentleman's education in Faringdon. He showed an aptitude for drawing and was sent to London to study under Giuseppe Grisoni, who had left Florence for London in 1715. When Grisoni returned to Italy in 1728, Hoare went with him, travelling to Rome and continuing his studies under the direction of Francesco Imperiali. He remained in Rome for nine years, returning to London in 1737/8.
William Hoare was the first fashionable portraitist to settle in Bath, and he was the leading portraitist there until the arrival of Thomas Gainsborough in 1759. He remained the favourite of his powerful patron the Duke of Newcastle, his family, followers and political associates. Included amongst his other important patrons were the Earls of Pembroke and Chesterfield, and the Duke of Beaufort. With Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds, he was a founding member of the Royal Academy.
Hoare was closely involved with the running of the Royal Mineral Water Hospital in Bath from 1742. He served as a governor of the hospital, and became acquainted with Bath's notable visitors and the neighbouring landed families. Chalmers described him as 'an ingenious and amiable English painter'. He died at Bath on 12 December 1792.
SIZE: 33.5 x 27 x 3 inches.
PROVENANCE: With Peter Jones 1980s.
Private Collection.
Internal Ref: 9305

Dimensions

Height = 84.5 cm (33")
Width = 68.5 cm (27")
Depth = 8 cm (3")