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Nathaniel Hone the Elder
, Irish, 1718-1784
Title
Self-PortraitDatec.1780
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
75.6 x 121.3 cm
Credit LineBequeathed, Mrs Hone, 1919 (Accessioned 1951)
Object numberNGI.886
Label TextThis late self-portrait by Hone has been described aptly as 'his most telling performance'. Dressed in fine outdoor attire, his hair powdered and neatly groomed, Hone presents himself not as urban artist, but country gentleman. The inclusion of a hunting dog suggests elevated pursuits, while Hone’s pose recalls grand formal portraiture. Bolder still is the setting - an Italianate landscape - and the introduction of a classical temple in the background. It is also a double portrait, as Hone’s wife appears in profile, classicised and immortalised, on the plinth at his elbow.