Allan Ramsay
1713 - 1784
Ramsay completed his training in Rome and Naples. On his return to London in 1738 his only serious competitor was Thomas Hudson, with whom he shared a drapery painter, Joseph van Aken. In 1761 it was Ramsay, not Reynolds, who was appointed Painter to the King. His later portraits are characterised by their soft colours and French elegance. He gave up painting in about 1770 to follow literary pursuits.
Text © National Portrait Gallery, London
![Hand Studies [verso]](https://img.smartify.org/Z_F09r-T6ShzazrvgyVdiCM_VubjYrCXsS9HItCefJE/resize:fill:800:800:0:0/gravity:fp:0.5:0.5/format:jpg/czM6Ly9zbWFydGlmeS1tZWRpYS9hcnR3b3JrLWltYWdlL05HQV8xOTk1XzUyXzE0NF9iL21lZGlhX2RlRUQ2S3RGSVlybVd6RmlhQVI2TGguanBn.jpg?Policy=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__&Signature=VXBd8kmHAZpnLVcdZrEntWXv8OzDS8oYN5Fuf9JcrhOWPMpo3iTzs-1lNDv1TjTbSSWTz4BhZmij0MbspVrdymaUjtyarK4xSFQ0j48p-jGn3Z-u9Kf4xs8~oQ-jGwXwdJnLdxbHlM-Un2rmAzAGtGMU6xsfFIC9AzAPMurW3SSMufyr~18pURiM0gBoS4J4CsbLYIEC5tPW4VMFYP4Q-KOdMaTqOt1ggN5JNxRJr7nSo-lsTQ6BtLfftGbj0noZDlcNVEpNI28CCWNvgfFBNDbvOJWhng4Io5WlaF2g6SuXAV0jJZx4R90sDI84V8kxTGrii9ZzNEPqeXPRLMh6RA__&Key-Pair-Id=K2TK72C9H46KK2)
