William Hoare

William Hoare was a prominent English portrait painter of the mid-18th century, best known for refined likenesses of political figures, clergy, and members of polite society. Born in Bath, he trained in Italy, where exposure to Venetian color and classical composition shaped his mature style. Returning to England, Hoare established a successful practice in Bath, then a fashionable spa town, and became a founding member of the Royal Academy in 1768. His portraits are characterized by clear draughtsmanship, restrained elegance, and a calm, dignified presentation well suited to statesmen and professionals, making his work a frequent source for contemporary mezzotint engravers.