Sunday, July 26, 2020

Portrait of Lady Hamilton Found

Lady Hamilton as Ariadne by Richard Westall
From Advertiser and Times:
A LOST portrait of Admiral Lord Nelson’s mistress Lady Hamilton has been discovered at a Lymington antiques shop. The painting by Richard Westall shows Emma Hamilton gazing over her left shoulder, with her right breast exposed under a loose gown. It is thought to have been painted in 1802, three years before Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar. The oil on canvas painting was taken to antique dealer Charles Wallrock, of Wick Antiques in Lymington, by an elderly woman who had owned it for years. Mr Wallrock researched the item and confirmed it was one of four studies of Lady Hamilton produced by Westall. It is now for sale for £85,000. Nelson first met Emma Hamilton in Italy in 1793, and in 1798 he returned to Naples as a hero following the Battle of the Nile. There they fell in love and formed a relationship that Emma’s husband Sir William is said to have encouraged, given Nelson’s status. (Read more.)

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