Sir Rowland Winn, 5th Bt (1739 - 1785) and his Wife Sabine Louise d'Hervart (1734...

A double portrait of Sir Rowland and his wife whom he married in 1761, as a ‘conversation piece' and an allegory of art, standing in an idealised version of the Library at Nostell Priory. The bust of Venus, Roman Goddess of Love, on the pedestal and the chalk sketch of the same bust on the chair (whose features have been slightly altered to reflect Sabine's), symbolise the beauty of the 5th Baronet's wife and his love for her. Hamilton doubled the width of the Library to create a well proportioned composition. However, he accurately recorded its fittings and original decoration, as well as the famous Chippendale desk. Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1739-1808) was an Irish portrait painter, who moved to London in 1760s. He attracted commissions from the British royal family, as well the English and Irish gentry and aristocracy.The painting was commissioned by the 5th Baronet in 1767, to hang in his London house in St James' Square, and was moved to Nostell in 1785, when the London house was sold. It cost 32 guineas. Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire (Accredited Museum)