GUSTAVUS HAMILTON (IRISH 1739-1775) Portrait miniature of a young lady wearing a blue dress trimmed with pearls on her shoulders, an elaborate pearl and sapphire necklace, matching earrings and further jewels and feathers entwined in her upswept hair Signed Ham and dated 1765 on the obverse Original gold bracelet clasp frame surrounded with cushion cut diamonds and rubies, later loop suspension. Watercolour on ivory Oval, 38mm (1 1/2 in) high Hamilton, an Irish miniature painter was the son of Rev. Gustavus Hamilton, vicar of Errigal and rector of Gallon, County Meath. One of his teachers was the Irish painter Robert West. He was an apprentice to the pupil of Samuel Dixon of Capel Street Dublin, where he was employed in colouring the basso-relievo prints of birds and flowers produced by Dixon. Although he has been described as one of the lesser miniature painters of the 18th century, this particular example shows his work at his best. The sitter was clearly a woman of huge wealth judging by the very striking pieces of jewelry that she is wearing coupled with the elaborate frame in which the miniature is set.