Gavin Hamilton: Archaeologist, Painter, and Dealer

Abstract

Archaeological excavations and paintings of Homeric subjects made Gavin Hamilton famous amongst his contemporaries as an arbiter of Neoclassical taste.¹ As late as 1832, nearly forty years after his death, he was remembered as the “celebre Gavino Hamilton, uno de’ principali ammiratori dell'antichità, e che grandissima parte ebbe al risorgimento del gusto ed al discoprimento di monumenti importanti che oggi adornano i musei di Roma, Napoli e Parigi.”² Friend of Canova and Robert Adam, purchaser of the Virgin of the Rocks in the National Gallery, London, and vendor of many antique sculptures: these are some aspects of Gavin Hamilton's life suggestive of his contemporary importance.