Hamilton, Gavin

Gavin Hamilton, (born 1723, Bertram Shotts, Lanarkshire, Scot.—died Jan. 4, 1798, Rome, Papal States [Italy]), Scottish-born painter of scenes from history, portraitist, archaeologist, and art dealer who was one of the pioneers of Neoclassicism.

From 1742 until his death he lived in Rome, except for a period from about 1752 to 1754 when he was in London, primarily painting portraits of the British aristocracy. He was part of Rome’s inner circle of antiquarians and Neoclassical artists. Perhaps his best-known works were his paintings of scenes from Homer’s Iliad, executed in the 1760s in a severely classical style. Hamilton also conducted important excavations of ancient archaeological sites near Rome and sold many of the discovered artifacts and art objects to British collectors.