Hamilton, William, Sir

Biography

Sir William Hamilton was born in 1730, fourth son of Lord Archibald Hamilton and grandson of William, 3rd Duke of Hamilton. He was British envoy at the Court of Naples from 1764 to 1800, and a prominent antiquarian, dealing as an agent for his own interests and for those of his family, friends and acquaintances. He formed two collections of Greek antiquities, the first of which he donated to the British Museum in 1772. His views on the advantages of leaving ancient vases unrestored are said to have been quite progressive. Sir William's first wife was heiress to an estate in Wales. Emma Hart, famed as the inamorata of Lord Nelson, was his mistress and later his second wife. Hamilton died in 1803.

Bibliography

1943

Deutsch, O.E. "Sir William Hamilton's Picture Gallery." The Burlington Magazine 82 (1943): 36-41.

1969

Fothergill, B. Sir William Hamilton. En voy Extraordinary. New York, 1969.

1985

Knight, C. "La Quadreria di Sir William Hamilton a Palazzo Sessa." Napoli nobilissima 24 (1985): 45-59.

1989

Ramage, Nancy H. "A List of Sir William Hamilton's Property." The Burlington Magazine 131 (1989): 704-706.

1990

Ramage, Nancy H. "Sir William Hamilton as Collector, Exporter, and Dealer: The Acquisition and Dispersal of His Collections." American Journal of Archaeology 94 (July 1990): 469-480.

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