Not currently on display at the V&A

Sir William Hamilton

Relief
late 18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief portrait in wax depicts Sir William Hamilton, (1730- 1803).

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, low relief portraits in wax became popular in Britain and they were often exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of Artists and elsewhere. Waxes were used in a similar way to prints and medals, in order to disseminate the image of the sitter, or, like miniature paintings or silhouettes as portable mementoes.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSir William Hamilton
Materials and techniques
wax
Brief description
Portrait relief of Sir William Hamilton. Wax. English. late 18th century.
Physical description
Wax portrait relief of Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803).
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.5in
  • Width: 9in
Object history
Given by Charles Schreiber M.P and Lady Charlotte Schreiber in 1884. Part of a collection given to the museum of mainly English porcelain, earthenware, enamels and glass, formed by Charles and Lady Schreiber from 1865.
Subject depicted
Summary
This relief portrait in wax depicts Sir William Hamilton, (1730- 1803).

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, low relief portraits in wax became popular in Britain and they were often exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Society of Artists and elsewhere. Waxes were used in a similar way to prints and medals, in order to disseminate the image of the sitter, or, like miniature paintings or silhouettes as portable mementoes.
Bibliographic reference
Schreiber. Catalogue of English Porcelain, earthenware, enamels etc collected by Charles Schreiber, Esq., M.P. and the Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Schreiber, and presented to the South Kensington Museum in 1884. London. 1885. no. 640
Collection
Accession number
414:1365-1885

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Record createdSeptember 8, 2008
Record URL
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