‘Captain Hamilton’, wearing naval uniform, his hair powdered (w/c & pencil on paper)

There were a number of captains with the last name Hamilton in the royal navy during this period, making it very difficult to prove with certainty the identity of this sitter. One possibility is Charles Powell Hamilton (1747-1825) who was made captain in 1779, although a finished portrait of this sitter by Smart [private collection] bears little resemblance, ruling out the possibility that this was a preliminary study. Another celebrated Hamilton is Sir John Hamilton, who was made captain in 1771, although the absence of any confirmed iconography makes this again difficult to prove.