May 08, 2011 <Back to Index>
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Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, 1st Baronet (8 May 1735 – 15 October 1811) was a notable English portrait painter and later a politician. The third son of architect George Dance the Elder, Dance (he added the 'Holland' suffix later in life) studied art under Francis Hayman, and like many contemporaries also studied in Italy. There he met Angelica Kauffmann, and painted several historic and classical paintings. On his return to England, he became a successful portrait painter. With Hayman and his architect brother George Dance the Younger, he was one of the founding members of the Royal Academy in 1768. He was
commissioned to paint King George
III and his queen,
plus Captain James
Cook and actor David
Garrick. His group portrait The
Pybus
Family (1769)
is in the collection of the National
Gallery
of Victoria, Australia. In 1790,
he gave up his artistic career and became Member
of
Parliament for East
Grinstead in Sussex.
He
served this seat until 1802 when he moved to Great
Bedwyn, serving until 1806. In 1807 he returned to East Grinstead, serving until his death in 1811. He was made a baronet in 1800, which became
extinct upon his death. He was
married to Harriet, the widow of Thomas
Dummer (died 1781),
for whom his brother had designed the house at Cranbury
Park, near Winchester. His wife survived him until
1825. His
nephew, Sir Nathaniel
Dance (1748 – 1827),
was a well-known commander of British
East
India Company ships. |