When George in pudding-time came o'er And moderate men looked big, sir, My principles I chang'd once more, And so became a Whig, sir. The Vicar of Bray 1734 PERSONAL PROMOTION a fraternity of virtuosi: the club that hogarth didn't join, by gawen hamilton 1734/35 "In this select gathering of leading artists of the day Hogarth is notable by his absence, but perhaps that was to be expected in a group which included several Catholics and Tory sympathisers and whose aim was to promote his chief rival Hamilton." Manners & Morals, exhibition catalogue, p.85. Scott was in the Vicar-of-Bray persuasion, pseudo-Whig Walpole camp by 1735, and it is difficult to think of anyone else to call notable by their absence from this particular group. Monamy would only have been notable by his presence, especially since, as Horace makes plain, he was all washed up by the time George II was into his stride. The two members of this clique he might have had professional dealings with, however, were Gibbs and Kent. It seems pretty clear that although Vertue was well aware of him, he didn't know him at all in any personal sense. The Monamy/Walker conversation piece has to be seen as a statement of somewhat solitary or anti-social independence when contrasted with this choice selection of distinguished practitioners. It also has an edge to it, which is lacking in the gathering of chummy virtuosi. Hamilton's self-portrait in this group now strikes me as ambiguous in intent, as if he were slightly at odds with the general ambience. He turns away, and regards the spectator with a knowing look.       Hamilton looks ashamed of himself. The Virtuosi 1735 Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the throne, View him with scornful, yet with jealous eyes, And hate for arts that caused himself to rise; Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, And, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer; Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike, Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike: Alike reserved to blame, or to commend, A tim'rous foe, and a suspicious friend; Dreading e'en fools, by flatterers besieged, And so obliging that he ne'er obliged; Like Cato, give his little senate laws, And sit attentive to his own applause Alexander Pope, 1735 1737: Arrival of the portrait painter, van Loo, in London. "Vanloo, a French portrait painter, being told that the English were to be cajoled by any one who had a sufficient portion of assurance, came to this country, set his trumpeters to work, and by the assistance of puffing, monopolized all the people of fashion in the kingdom. Down went at once *, ---*, ---*, ---*, ---*, ---&c. &c. &c. painters who, before his arrival, were highly fashionable and eminent; but by this foreign interloper were driven into the greatest distress and poverty." Anecdotes of Hogarth, written by himself. See here. the painter and the connoisseur, circa 1730;    circa 1565 [brueghel]   Tell em the Generous scorn their Rise to owe To Flattery, Pimping, and a gawdy shew published in Marvell's works, 1726.   the decorator one decorations displayed public display at vauxhall gardens vauxhall gardens hogarth, monamy, and the connoisseurs monamy website index top © Charles Harrison Wallace 2003 all rights reserved