New light on the painter and engraver Thomas Hardy (1757-1804)

Abstract

Thomas Hardy (1757-1804) is an English portraitist whose obscurity is in inverse relation to the fame of some of those whom he portrayed. Among his notable sitters were the political radical John Horne Tooke, Lady Georgiana Cavendish as a child, the composer Joseph Haydn and several other well-known actors and musicians of his day. Living as he did in a time of the flourishing of the public press, and in a culture of impeccable memoir-keeping, Hardy's absence from most contemporary accounts is frustrating. None the less, some significant material has recently emerged, shedding new light on Hardy's career and his often-remarkable selection of sitters, especially the many musicians and actors whom he painted. He is, therefore, an especially significant artist for his depiction of creative figures in London during the 1790s, providing a valuable record of the time.