The Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne &c.

The Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne &c. by William Hogarth is an etching created as a detailed portrait of the prominent nobleman. Classified broadly as a print, the work captures a significant figure from the 18th-century British aristocracy. While Hogarth passed away decades prior, this particular impression is dated 1794, indicating it is a posthumous state or a later edition published from the original plate, a common commercial practice employed to maintain the availability and longevity of his popular graphic works.

The portrait aligns with the strong 18th-century demand for noble portraits of influential men, particularly those with military or political stature. The subject, Gustavus Hamilton, 2nd Viscount Boyne, is depicted with the formality required of his station, embodying the societal norms applied to such powerful figures. Even within the relatively spare constraints of the etching medium, Hogarth’s skill in rendering individual character remains evident, positioning this piece as a key record documenting the elite men of the period.

Hogarth was celebrated not only for his complex narrative series but also for his individual prints that documented and, at times, satirized the society of his time. The accessibility and relative affordability of these prints allowed for wide dissemination, contributing greatly to the artist’s fame and influence across Britain and Europe. As an important example of 18th-century British graphic arts, this specific impression of The Right Hon. Gustavus Lord Viscount Boyne &c. is held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ensuring this significant public domain artwork remains available for scholarly research into period portraiture and the business of prints.