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| Portrait of Emma Hamilton bought by Lord Nelson to go on display | Portrait of Emma Hamilton bought by Lord Nelson to go on display |
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| A voluptuous portrait of Emma Hamilton, commissioned by her husband and later bought by her lover Lord Nelson to save it from the shame of a public sale, is to be displayed in a major exhibition on her extraordinary life. | A voluptuous portrait of Emma Hamilton, commissioned by her husband and later bought by her lover Lord Nelson to save it from the shame of a public sale, is to be displayed in a major exhibition on her extraordinary life. |
| “She was a really remarkable person, who has usually been seen only in the shadows of the men in her life. It is time to bring her back into the light,” Quintin Colville, curator of the exhibition that opens at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, next month. | “She was a really remarkable person, who has usually been seen only in the shadows of the men in her life. It is time to bring her back into the light,” Quintin Colville, curator of the exhibition that opens at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, next month. |
| The portrait has been in private collections since it was completed, and hasn’t been exhibited in the UK for almost half a century. | The portrait has been in private collections since it was completed, and hasn’t been exhibited in the UK for almost half a century. |
| Colville, like many men before him, has fallen heavily for Emma, the blacksmith’s daughter who became an aristocratic diplomat’s wife and the mistress of one of the most famous men of the day. He told the Guardian he finds it hard to forgive the artist, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, for being so rude about Emma, who had been typically kind to her when Le Brun came to the Naples court as a refugee from the French revolution. | Colville, like many men before him, has fallen heavily for Emma, the blacksmith’s daughter who became an aristocratic diplomat’s wife and the mistress of one of the most famous men of the day. He told the Guardian he finds it hard to forgive the artist, Élisabeth-Louise Vigée Le Brun, for being so rude about Emma, who had been typically kind to her when Le Brun came to the Naples court as a refugee from the French revolution. |
| Emma was far more famous in that circle than le Brun, and was renowned for her “attitudes”, theatrical exhibitions of poses drawn from classical art and literature, including Lord Hamilton’s famous collection of Greek vases. Her performances were essential viewing for visitors to Naples, including the poet Goethe, who described her as “exceedingly beautiful”, and said she brought the ancient world to life “as if one were in some dream”. | Emma was far more famous in that circle than le Brun, and was renowned for her “attitudes”, theatrical exhibitions of poses drawn from classical art and literature, including Lord Hamilton’s famous collection of Greek vases. Her performances were essential viewing for visitors to Naples, including the poet Goethe, who described her as “exceedingly beautiful”, and said she brought the ancient world to life “as if one were in some dream”. |
| In 1791, Hamilton took Emma as his mistress from his nephew and then married her when he was 61 and she was 26. The blacksmith’s daughter became Lady Hamilton, an ambassador’s wife and society hostess. Many regarded the match as shocking, but it was nothing to the scandal that followed. When a wounded Nelson came to convalesce in Naples, Emma nursed him back to health and the two fell passionately in love. Instead of throwing her out and challenging Nelson to a duel, Hamilton remained on affectionate terms with both of them. | In 1791, Hamilton took Emma as his mistress from his nephew and then married her when he was 61 and she was 26. The blacksmith’s daughter became Lady Hamilton, an ambassador’s wife and society hostess. Many regarded the match as shocking, but it was nothing to the scandal that followed. When a wounded Nelson came to convalesce in Naples, Emma nursed him back to health and the two fell passionately in love. Instead of throwing her out and challenging Nelson to a duel, Hamilton remained on affectionate terms with both of them. |
| “Hamilton greatly admired Nelson, and he was unquestionably extremely fond of Emma. He didn’t want to lose her, he was getting old, and I think he wanted a comfortable life spending time with his collections and his books, surrounded by people he liked,” Colville said. | “Hamilton greatly admired Nelson, and he was unquestionably extremely fond of Emma. He didn’t want to lose her, he was getting old, and I think he wanted a comfortable life spending time with his collections and his books, surrounded by people he liked,” Colville said. |
| The portrait shows Emma as either a Bacchante or Ariadne. Colville notes her expression of sleepy satisfaction, and the little ship sailing away in the background, and wonders if there is a sly reference to Nelson. | The portrait shows Emma as either a Bacchante or Ariadne. Colville notes her expression of sleepy satisfaction, and the little ship sailing away in the background, and wonders if there is a sly reference to Nelson. |
| Le Brun went on to paint many more highly saleable portraits of Emma – who was already the muse and favourite model of the artist George Romney – and said of her: “I could have copied her different poses ... and filled a gallery with paintings.” | Le Brun went on to paint many more highly saleable portraits of Emma – who was already the muse and favourite model of the artist George Romney – and said of her: “I could have copied her different poses ... and filled a gallery with paintings.” |
| However, she also wrote in her diary: “Lady Hamilton was not very intelligent, though she was exceedingly mocking and denigrating, to the point that her faults were her only means of conversation. But she was cunning, and this helped her to snare a husband.” | However, she also wrote in her diary: “Lady Hamilton was not very intelligent, though she was exceedingly mocking and denigrating, to the point that her faults were her only means of conversation. But she was cunning, and this helped her to snare a husband.” |
| The exhibition will include many loans from private collections, including touchingly modest objects that belonged to Emma, which have never been displayed before. Almost everything she owned was scattered in sales after Nelson died at Trafalgar in 1805, two years after Hamilton. She ended up poorer than when she was born, having been released from a debtor’s prison to die penniless in Calais in 1815. | The exhibition will include many loans from private collections, including touchingly modest objects that belonged to Emma, which have never been displayed before. Almost everything she owned was scattered in sales after Nelson died at Trafalgar in 1805, two years after Hamilton. She ended up poorer than when she was born, having been released from a debtor’s prison to die penniless in Calais in 1815. |
| The objects will include a little needle book with nautical scenes owned by Horatia, her daughter by Nelson, and a devotional book she gave her, inscribed “a life well spent makes old age pleasant and honourable”, but signed “Emma Hamilton” rather than as her mother. | |
| Both Hamilton and Nelson loved the Vigée Le Brun portrait. Hamilton left a miniature version to Nelson in his will, “a very small token of the great regard I have for his Lordship, the most virtuous, loyal and truly brave character I ever met with”. Nelson, when he learned the original was to be sold, wrote to Emma: “My dearest friend you are on SALE: I am almost mad to think of the iniquity.” He paid £300 for it, and kept it over his bed for the rest of his life. | Both Hamilton and Nelson loved the Vigée Le Brun portrait. Hamilton left a miniature version to Nelson in his will, “a very small token of the great regard I have for his Lordship, the most virtuous, loyal and truly brave character I ever met with”. Nelson, when he learned the original was to be sold, wrote to Emma: “My dearest friend you are on SALE: I am almost mad to think of the iniquity.” He paid £300 for it, and kept it over his bed for the rest of his life. |