Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue
Nathaniel Hone (1718-1784), Portrait and miniature painter
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Self Portraits
‘Hone was a vain man and his numerous Self Portraits show his limited range at its fullest’ (E. K. Waterhouse, Painting in Britain 1530-1790, 1953, p 183).
1747
Painting, half length wearing a fur cap with a chain over his left shoulder; engraved by Hone, lettered ipse pinxit 1747 ... (illus. Rembrandt in 18th century England, New Haven, 1983, pl.12, and see p 29).
1749
Miniature, half-length oval in Van Dyck dress, fingering a miniature at his breast. Christie’s, 26 June 1980, lot 90. Exhibited SKM 1865 (245) lent G. A. Larby.
Another enamel miniature, said to be signed and dated 1749, exhibited SKM 1865 (1940) lent J. H. Anderdon.
Miniature, bust-length wearing a beaver hat, a gold chain over his right shoulder. Clarke collection (illus. Clarke Collection Miniatures, Scottish NPG, 2001, no.33). The features do not readily agree with those seen in other self-portrait miniatures of 1747 and 1749.
c.1750-60
Chalk drawing, half-length oval, at his drawing board. British Museum (1890.10.3.16). A similarly posed painting, not apparently by Hone, sold Christie’s New York, 15 January 1986, lot 74.
c.1755
Miniature, see NPG 1878.
1760-69
Miniature, half length, wearing a scarlet coat with gold lace. Christie’s, 11 December 1957, lot 48 as dated 176.
c.1760
Painting, see NPG 177.
Painting, standing half length before an easel, supporting a folio with his left hand. National Gallery of Ireland (1003). Engraved E. Fisher. A replica exhibited British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (25) lent Mrs Arnold Willis.
c.1760-65
Painting, half length pointing to his first wife’s portrait behind him. National Gallery of Ireland (196). A comparable portrait of his first wife dated 1760, sold Christie’s, 27 March 1981, lot 142.
c.1765
Painting, half-length painted oval, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, in Van Dyck dress. Royal Academy. Exhibited, Second special exhibition of National Portraits (William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington, 1867 (524); British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (26); Genial Company, Nottingham/Scottish NPG, 1987 (43).
c.1775
Painting, half-length seated in a landscape, his right arm resting on a bas-relief of his [first] wife; a distant view inspired by the temple of Tivoli. National Gallery of Ireland (886). Exhibited British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (27) as c.1775. It is probable that the bas-relief indicates the death of Hone’s first wife, see 1778 below.
1778
Painting, half length wearing a broad-brimmed hat. Manchester City Art Gallery (1928.75). Probably the self portrait exhibited RA 1779 (144). In 1777 Hone remarried a Mrs Tinswood of Petworth (d. 1791).
Undated
Mezzotint, half length wearing a turban, laughing and pointing (J. C. Smith, British Mezzotint Portraits, 4). Possibly late 1740s.
Portraits by other Artists
1772
Painting by Johann Zoffany, The Academicians of the Royal Academy, see NPG 1437.
c.1780-84
Drawing by Paul Sandby, profile head, one of the series of heads drawn at print sales. Royal Collection (A. P. Oppé, The Drawings of Paul and Thomas Sandby in the Collection of His Majesty the King at Windsor Castle, 1947, no.417/10, fig.24). Engraved anon., Sketches taken at Print Sales.
Doubtful Portraits
Two miniatures of c.1750, bust-length ovals in Van Dyck costumes (Rosenbach Foundation, Philadelphia); miniature of an elderly man (Walters sale, Parke-Bernet, New York, 30 November-4 December 1943, lot 787); drawing, signed NH 1764, a young man drawing (British Museum, 1890.10.13.17), probably shows one of the artist’s sons.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
‘Hone was a vain man and his numerous Self Portraits show his limited range at its fullest’ (E. K. Waterhouse, Painting in Britain 1530-1790, 1953, p 183).
1747
Painting, half length wearing a fur cap with a chain over his left shoulder; engraved by Hone, lettered ipse pinxit 1747 ... (illus. Rembrandt in 18th century England, New Haven, 1983, pl.12, and see p 29).
1749
Miniature, half-length oval in Van Dyck dress, fingering a miniature at his breast. Christie’s, 26 June 1980, lot 90. Exhibited SKM 1865 (245) lent G. A. Larby.
Another enamel miniature, said to be signed and dated 1749, exhibited SKM 1865 (1940) lent J. H. Anderdon.
Miniature, bust-length wearing a beaver hat, a gold chain over his right shoulder. Clarke collection (illus. Clarke Collection Miniatures, Scottish NPG, 2001, no.33). The features do not readily agree with those seen in other self-portrait miniatures of 1747 and 1749.
c.1750-60
Chalk drawing, half-length oval, at his drawing board. British Museum (1890.10.3.16). A similarly posed painting, not apparently by Hone, sold Christie’s New York, 15 January 1986, lot 74.
c.1755
Miniature, see NPG 1878.
1760-69
Miniature, half length, wearing a scarlet coat with gold lace. Christie’s, 11 December 1957, lot 48 as dated 176.
c.1760
Painting, see NPG 177.
Painting, standing half length before an easel, supporting a folio with his left hand. National Gallery of Ireland (1003). Engraved E. Fisher. A replica exhibited British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (25) lent Mrs Arnold Willis.
c.1760-65
Painting, half length pointing to his first wife’s portrait behind him. National Gallery of Ireland (196). A comparable portrait of his first wife dated 1760, sold Christie’s, 27 March 1981, lot 142.
c.1765
Painting, half-length painted oval, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, in Van Dyck dress. Royal Academy. Exhibited, Second special exhibition of National Portraits (William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington, 1867 (524); British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (26); Genial Company, Nottingham/Scottish NPG, 1987 (43).
c.1775
Painting, half-length seated in a landscape, his right arm resting on a bas-relief of his [first] wife; a distant view inspired by the temple of Tivoli. National Gallery of Ireland (886). Exhibited British Self Portraits, Arts Council, 1962 (27) as c.1775. It is probable that the bas-relief indicates the death of Hone’s first wife, see 1778 below.
1778
Painting, half length wearing a broad-brimmed hat. Manchester City Art Gallery (1928.75). Probably the self portrait exhibited RA 1779 (144). In 1777 Hone remarried a Mrs Tinswood of Petworth (d. 1791).
Undated
Mezzotint, half length wearing a turban, laughing and pointing (J. C. Smith, British Mezzotint Portraits, 4). Possibly late 1740s.
Portraits by other Artists
1772
Painting by Johann Zoffany, The Academicians of the Royal Academy, see NPG 1437.
c.1780-84
Drawing by Paul Sandby, profile head, one of the series of heads drawn at print sales. Royal Collection (A. P. Oppé, The Drawings of Paul and Thomas Sandby in the Collection of His Majesty the King at Windsor Castle, 1947, no.417/10, fig.24). Engraved anon., Sketches taken at Print Sales.
Doubtful Portraits
Two miniatures of c.1750, bust-length ovals in Van Dyck costumes (Rosenbach Foundation, Philadelphia); miniature of an elderly man (Walters sale, Parke-Bernet, New York, 30 November-4 December 1943, lot 787); drawing, signed NH 1764, a young man drawing (British Museum, 1890.10.13.17), probably shows one of the artist’s sons.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.