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Photography © 2015 Fredrik Nilsen
Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, in a Straw Hat
Photography © 2015 Fredrik Nilsen
Photography © 2015 Fredrik Nilsen

Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, in a Straw Hat

Maker (British, 1734-1802)
Sitter (British, 1765 - 1815)
Collections
ClassificationsPAINTINGS
Dateca.1782-1794
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensionscanvas: 30 × 25 in. (76.2 × 63.5 cm.) frame: 41 × 36 × 4 1/2 in. (104.1 × 91.4 × 11.4 cm.)
Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Status
Not on view
Label TextExceptional beauty, ability, and ambition enabled Emma Hart’s rise to fame as the infamous Lady Hamilton—the mistress of naval hero Lord Nelson—and secured her position as Romney’s muse. This portrait captures not only her womanly beauty but also the flirtatiousness of a girl still in her teens. Her pose is both self-protective and coy—the act of hugging her arms close to her body could be seen as modest, but the fact that this gesture emphasizes her breasts also calls attention to her physical desirability.
Bibliography
Object number24.5
    The Huntington
    Copyright © The Huntington