WILLIAM

See also:

• HILTON, JOHN (1804–1878)
• WILLIAM HILTON (1786-1839)

HILTON (1786-1839)  , English painter, was born in Lincoln on the 3rd of June 1786, son of a portrait-painter . In ',Soo he was placed with the engraver J . R . Smith, and about the same time began studying in the Royal Academy school . He first exhibited in this institution in 1803, sending a " Group of Banditti "; and he soon established a reputation for choice of subject, and qualities of design and colour superior to the great mass of his contemporaries . He made a tour in Italy with Thomas Phillips, the portrait-painter . In 1813, having exhibited " Miranda and Ferdinand with the Logs of Wood," he was elected an associate of the Academy, and in 1820 a full academician, his diploma-picture representing " Ganymede." In 1823 he produced " Christ crowned with Thorns," a large and important work, subsequently bought out of the Chantrey Fund; this may be regarded as his master-piece . In 1827 he succeeded Henry Thomson as keeper of the Academy . He died in London on the 3oth of December 1839 . Some of his best pictures remained on his hands at his decease—such as the " Angel releasing Peter from Prison " (life-size), painted in 1831, " Una with the Lion entering Corceca's Cave " (1832), the " Murder of the Innocents," his last exhibited work (1838), " Comus," and " Amphitrite." The National Gallery now owns Edith finding the Body of Harold " (1834), " Cupid Disarmed," " Rebecca and Abraham's Servant " (182g), " Nature blowing Bubbles for her Children " (1821), and " Sir Calepine rescuing Serena " (from the Facrie Queen) (1831) . In the National Portrait Gallery is his likeness of John Keats, with whom he was acquainted . In a great school or period Hilton could not count as more than a respectable subordinate; but in the British school of the earlier part of the 19th century he had sufficient elevation of aim and width of attainment to stand conspicuous .