Portrait of Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne

Rosalba Carriera (1675 - 1757)

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

1731

This portrait of Lord Boyne is one of Carriera's most charming and successful Grand Tourist images. Boyne completed the Grand Tour with Edward Walpole, son of Sir Robert Walpole and elder brother of Horace Walpole. The work shows Boyne, the young Irishman in Venetian carnival dress. The artist was talented at capturing textures and patterns. Carriera is credited with establishing pastel as a medium for finished portraiture rather than informal sketches and was the best known female artist in Europe before Angelica Kauffmann. As the first major 18th century pastel portrait, this work fills an important gap in the Barber's collection. It complements a French 19th century pastel portrait of Mlle Malo by Degas, and makes important connections with other Venetian pictures in the collection by Canaletto, Guardi and Novelli.

• Medium: pastel on laid paper
• Dimensions: 59.7 x 49.6cm
• Art Fund Grant: £75000 ( Total: £525,000)
• ArtFunded in: 2009
• Vendor: Daniel Katz Ltd

Provenance

?Horace Walpole; Kitty Clive for Little Strawberry Hill, Twickenham; Colnaghi by 1820; Thomas Walpole the Younger of Stagbury; by descent; Christie's, 2008; Daniel Katz Ltd.

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