Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
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<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/john-singer-sargent-475" aria-label="More by John Singer Sargent" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">John Singer Sargent</a>
Colonel Ian Hamilton CB DSO
Presented by Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton 1940
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Hamilton, Ian, Colonel
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<p>Until the First World War (1914-1918) military service was still perceived as a noble and useful profession for the British aristocracy, who functioned as guardians of the British Empire. General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853-1947) is portrayed as Colonel and Commander of the 3rd Brigade of the Tirah Expeditionary Force on the N.W. Frontier of India. He broke his leg before the campaign and was in fact unable to take part in the Battle of Dargai of 1897, rejoining his command only after the fighting had ceased. But like other portraits of this type, the picture does not represent a moment in the sitter's life. Instead, it is an emblematic image celebrating the sitter's achievements and social status.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
19 June 2006 – 4 December 2006
2006-12-04
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2006-06-19
The Swagger Portrait
Collection based display
8 October 2023 – 7 July 2024
2024-07-07
8 October 2023 – 15 January 2024
2024-01-15
2023-10-08
Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, USA)
http://www.mfa.org
21 February 2024 – 7 July 2024
2024-07-07
2024-02-21
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2023-10-08
Sargent and Fashion
Exhibition
8 October 2023 – 15 January 2024
2024-01-15
8 October 2023 – 15 January 2024
2024-01-15
2023-10-08
Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, USA)
http://www.mfa.org
2023-10-08
Sargent and Fashion
Loan-out
Colonel Ian Hamilton, CB, DSO
support: 1384 × 787 mm
frame: 1570 × 975 × 80 mm
Presented by Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton 1940
<p>Until the First World War (1914-1918) military service was still perceived as a noble and useful profession for the British aristocracy, who functioned as guardians of the British Empire. General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853-1947) is portrayed as Colonel and Commander of the 3rd Brigade of the Tirah Expeditionary Force on the N.W. Frontier of India. He broke his leg before the campaign and was in fact unable to take part in the Battle of Dargai of 1897, rejoining his command only after the fighting had ceased. But like other <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portraits</span></a> of this type, the picture does not represent a moment in the sitter's life. Instead, it is an emblematic image celebrating the sitter's achievements and social status.</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05246</b> COLONEL IAN HAMILTON, C.B., D.S.O. 1898</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘John S. Sargent’ t.l.
<br/>Canvas, 54 1/2×31 (138·5×79).
<br/>Presented by General Sir Ian Hamilton, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., D.S.O., 1940.
<br/><i>Coll:</i> Commissioned by the sitter from the artist.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> New Gallery, summer 1899 (149); <i>70th Annual Exhibition</i>, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, January–February 1901 (28); Venice Biennale, 1907 (English Pavilion, 26); <i>Zweite Ausstellung der Königlichen Akademie der Künste</i>, Berlin, November 1907–January 1908 (10); <i>Naval and Military Works</i>, Guildhall, June–August 1915 (38); Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield, 1915 (no catalogue); R.A., winter 1926 (21, repr. <i>Illustrations of the Sargent Exhibition</i>, p.60); York, March–May 1926 (10).
<br/><i>Lit:</i> <i>Art Journal</i>, 1899, p.187, repr.; Downes, 1925, pp.185–6, repr. facing p.184; Charteris, 1927, p.267; Mount, 1955, p.436; McKibbin, 1956, p.100; Mount, 1957, p.345.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> <i>Kunst für Alle</i>, XXIII, 1907–8, p.26; Manson and Meynell, 1927, n.p.</p>
<p>General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853–1947) is here portrayed as a colonel and commander of the 3rd Brigade of the Tirah Expeditionary Force on the N.W. Frontier of India. He would have been in the Battle of Dargai (1897), but broke his leg before the campaign began and rejoined his command only after the fighting was over. This <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a> must have been painted soon after his return to England in May 1898, on his appointment to command the Musketry School at Hythe. He later became commander of the Dardanelles Expeditionary Force 1915, and in 1920 published his two-volume <i>Gallipoli Diary</i>. Sir Ian was also a collector and bequeathed Sickert's ‘St Mark's, Venice’ (<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sickert-st-marks-venice-pax-tibi-marce-evangelista-meus-n05914" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N05914</span></a>) to the Tate Gallery.</p>
<p>A three-quarter view head and shoulders portrait, 27 1/2×20, inscribed ‘To Mrs Ian Hamilton’, was given by Lady Hamilton to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 1941. The sitter wears khaki drill uniform and in the background are regimental colours. (See also <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sargent-jean-wife-of-colonel-ian-hamilton-n05247" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>N05247</span></a>.)</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-07T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: postures and motions adults clothing and personal items coat Hamilton, Ian, Colonel individuals: male man military named individuals objects people portraits soldier standing uniform / kit work and occupations