Hugh Douglas Hamilton
, Irish, 1740-1808
Title
David La Touche of Marlay (1729-1817)Datec.1765
MediumPastel and graphite on paper
Dimensions
23 x 19.5 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1889
Object numberNGI.7237
DescriptionThe muted colours and graphic, linear quality of this pastel typifies Hamilton's early style. The oval format, grey background and use of graphite to define features and suggest shadows are recurring features of the portraits he produced in the late1760s and early 1770s. The pastel of David La Touche (1729-1817), grandson of the founder of the Irish branch of the famous banking family, is the first work that Hamilton is known to have produced for the La Touches, who were among his most important patrons.ProvenancePurchased, Christie's, London, 1889 Exhibition HistoryChurch Disestablishment 1870-1970, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, 5 May - 7 June 1970