John McLure Hamilton

John McLure Hamilton (January 31, 1853–1936) was an Anglo-American artist. He was born in Philadelphia and began his art education at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, under Thomas Eakins. Later he travelled to Europe and continued his education at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and at the Royal Academy in Belgium. Hamilton was noted for portraits, figure paintings and illustrations. While maintaining a steadfast address in Philadelphia, he lived in England for fifty-eight years where he was credited portrait painter to William Ewart Gladstone, prime minister of the United Kingdom.

In accessory to Gladstone, Hamilton painted portraits of many English notables including Cardinal Manning, George Meredith and Richard Vaux. He was the author of a book, Men I Have Painted. In the collection he writes of himself thus,

In a review of the book, which reveals insights into some well-known personalities of the time, the New York Times wrote, "... his chats very nearly his sitters are endearingly without pretense ... if his portrait turns out a bad one, he mentions it".

The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography said of the book,

Hamilton was a zealot of the American Federation of Arts, the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the Pastel Society, the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and the Senefelder Club, London. His portraits are found in the later galleries; Luxembourg Museum, Paris, (which is devoted to artists foreign to France), the National Portrait Gallery, London and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, which awarded him its Gold Medal of Honor in 1918.

More images simple at Commons.