Attributed To Thomas Hickey (1741 - 1824) - 18th Century British Portrait Of A Gentleman.

An 18th century oval portrait, oil on copper, of an elegant gentleman, attributed to Thomas Hickey (c. 1741-1824). The handsome sitter is shown half-length seated at a table on which are a leather-bound book and an open letter presumably addressed to the sitter himself, a Mr Hill of Tewkesbury. Beneath his cropped black curls and black eyebrows, his large eyes gaze at us with the sweetest and most pleasant expression. Mr Hill is wearing the very fashionable attire of elegant gentlemen of the period, namely a blue jacket and silver waistcoat which he wears over a high-collared shirt. In his lapel he carries a bouquet of roses and jasmine. For such a small work it is full of delightful detail, including a finely worked table top, a Chippendale flat-backed chair and behind the sitter a panelled door with a brass lock. This fine portrait is in an excellent state of preservation and is presented ready to hang and enjoy in its original 18th century, finely carved and gilded oval frame. Thomas Hickey (c. 1741-1824) was one of the great adventurers in the history of Irish art. Thomas Hickey was a popular and successful portrait painter, who practised portraiture in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, India and China, but never achieved significant recognition in his native country during his lifetime. He was born in Dublin, the son of a confectioner, and studied drawing and painting at the Dublin Society schools, where he won many prizes in his early teens. His early works were largely portraits executed in chalk, but after a study trip to Italy in the early 1760s he began to exhibit a range of oil paintings. Depressed by his failure to gain patrons and develop his art in Dublin, he went to London and became a regular contributor to the Royal Academy exhibitions. After a short stay in Bath, in 1780 he sailed on a ship to India which was then captured by the French - who were at war with Britain - and Hickey found himself in Lisbon looking for a ship to London. In the meantime, portrait commissions poured in, forcing him to remain in Portugal for some years. In 1784 he finally managed to get to India, settling in a wealthy part of Calcutta where he stayed for seven years. During this time he painted portraits of many members of the local English hierarchy and wrote a book entitled 'The History of Painting and Sculpture'. After returning to England in 1791, he was engaged as official portrait painter to Lord Macartney's expedition to China from 1792 to 1794, which he followed with a visit to Dublin before returning to India in 1798. During this second sojourn in the Orient, Hickey painted a remarkable series of chalk portraits of over 30 British army officers and many Indian soldiers. A noted conversationalist and witty, he eventually settled in Madras where he died at the age of 83. Today he is regarded as one of the leading Irish artists of the 18th century. High resolution images available on request. Worldwide shipping available. Sheet: 8” x 6 3/8" / 19.5cm x 16cm. Framed: 10" x 8" / 25cm x 21cm.