Solitary Dog Sculptor I

Emma by George Romney

Emma, Lady Hamilton (born 1761; baptised 12 May 1765 – 15 January 1815) is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Romney. She was born Amy Lyon in Ness near Neston, Cheshire, England, the daughter of a blacksmith, Henry Lyon, who died when she was two months old. She was brought up by her mother, formerly Mary Kidd, at Hawarden, with no formal education. She later changed her name to Emma Hart.

Early Life

Details of Emma's early life are unclear, but at age 12, she was known to be working as a maid at the Hawarden home of Doctor Honoratus Leigh Thomas, a surgeon working in Chester. Then she worked for the Budd family in Chatham Place, Blackfriars, and met a maid called Jane Powell, who wanted to be an actress. Emma joined in with Jane's rehearsals for various tragic roles. After this short stay in London, Emma went back to her mother, who was living near Oxford Street. Inspired by Jane's enthusiasm for the theatre, Emma started work at the Drury Lane theatre in Covent Garden, as maid to various actresses, among them Mary Robinson. However, this paid little.

Emma next worked as a model and dancer at the "Goddess of Health" (also known as the "Temple of Health") for James Graham, a Scottish "quack" doctor. The establishment's greatest attraction was a bed through which electricity was passed, giving paying patrons mild shocks. This supposedly aided conception, and many infertile couples paid high prices to try it.

Sir Harry Featherstonhaugh met Emma, then still only fifteen years old, and he hired her for several months, as host and entertainer at a lengthy stag party at Sir Harry's Uppark country estate in the South Downs. Sir Harry took Emma there as mistress but frequently ignored her in favour of drinking and hunting with his friends. Emma soon formed a friendship with one of the guests, the dull but sincere Honourable Charles Francis Greville (1749–1809), second son of the first Earl of Warwick and a member of Parliament for Warwick. It was about this time (late June-early July 1781) that she conceived a child by Sir Harry.

Sir Harry was furious at the unwanted pregnancy but is thought to have accommodated Emma in one of his many houses in London. Emma gave up on Sir Harry: probably at this time she had formed a romantic attachment to Greville. He was closer to her in age, and she might have believed that he was able to marry her. Emma became Greville's mistress. When the child (Emma Carew) was born, it was removed to be raised by a Mr and Mrs Blackburn.^[1] As a young woman, Emma's daughter saw her mother reasonably frequently, but later when Emma fell into debt, Miss Carew worked abroad as a companion or governess.^{[citation needed]}

Emma was at Greville's mercy and acceded to his request to change her name to "Emma Hart". Greville kept Emma in a house at Edgeware Row, but he was in love with her and, wanting a painting of her, sent her to sit for his friend, the painter, George Romney. Romney painted many of his most famous portraits of Emma at this time. Indeed, Romney maintained a lifelong obsession with her, sketching her nude and clothed in many poses that he used in paintings he made in her absence. Through the popularity of Romney's work and particularly of his striking-looking young model, Emma became well known in society circles, under the name of "Emma Hart". She learned quickly and was elegant, witty and intelligent. And, as paintings of her attest, Emma was also extremely beautiful.

George Romney was fascinated by her looks and ability to adapt to the ideals of the age. Romney and other artists painted her in many guises.

In 1783, Greville needed to find a rich wife to replenish his finances (in the form of eighteen-year-old heiress Henrietta Middleton). Emma would be a problem, as he disliked being known as her lover (this having become apparent to all through her fame in Romney's artworks), and his prospective wife would not accept him as a suitor if he lived openly with Emma Hart.

To be rid of Emma, Greville persuaded his uncle, Sir William Hamilton, British Envoy to Naples, to take her off his hands. Greville's marriage would be useful to Sir William, as it relieved him of having Greville as a poor relation. To promote his plan, Greville suggested to Sir William that Emma would make a very pleasing mistress, assuring him that, once married to Henrietta Middleton, he would come and fetch Emma back. Emma's famous beauty was by then well-known to Sir William, so much so that he even agreed to pay the expenses for her journey to ensure her speedy arrival. He was interested in her, as a great collector of antiquities and beautiful objects, and that was how he first viewed Emma. He had long been a happily married man, now in his mid-fifties, and he liked female companionship very much. His home in Naples was well known all over the world for hospitality and refinement. He needed a hostess for his salon, and from what he knew about Emma, she would be the perfect choice.

Greville did not inform Emma of his plan, instead suggesting the trip as a prolonged holiday in Naples while he (Greville) was away in Scotland on business. Emma was thus sent to Naples, supposedly for six to eight months, little realising that she was going as the mistress of her host. She became furious when she realized what Greville had planned for her. But in fact this was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Details of Emma's early life are unclear, but at age 12, she was known to be working as a maid at the Hawarden home of Doctor Honoratus Leigh Thomas, a surgeon working in Chester. Then she worked for the Budd family in Chatham Place, Blackfriars, and met a maid called Jane Powell, who wanted to be an actress. Emma joined in with Jane's rehearsals for various tragic roles. After this short stay in London, Emma went back to her mother, who was living near Oxford Street. Inspired by Jane's enthusiasm for the theatre, Emma started work at the Drury Lane theatre in Covent Garden, as maid to various actresses, among them Mary Robinson. However, this paid little.

Emma next worked as a model and dancer at the "Goddess of Health" (also known as the "Temple of Health") for James Graham, a Scottish "quack" doctor. The establishment's greatest attraction was a bed through which electricity was passed, giving paying patrons mild shocks. This supposedly aided conception, and many infertile couples paid high prices to try it.

Sir Harry Featherstonhaugh met Emma, then still only fifteen years old, and he hired her for several months, as host and entertainer at a lengthy stag party at Sir Harry's Uppark country estate in the South Downs. Sir Harry took Emma there as mistress but frequently ignored her in favour of drinking and hunting with his friends. Emma soon formed a friendship with one of the guests, the dull but sincere Honourable Charles Francis Greville (1749–1809), second son of the first Earl of Warwick and a member of Parliament for Warwick. It was about this time (late June-early July 1781) that she conceived a child by Sir Harry.

Sir Harry was furious at the unwanted pregnancy but is thought to have accommodated Emma in one of his many houses in London. Emma gave up on Sir Harry: probably at this time she had formed a romantic attachment to Greville. He was closer to her in age, and she might have believed that he was able to marry her. Emma became Greville's mistress. When the child (Emma Carew) was born, it was removed to be raised by a Mr and Mrs Blackburn.^[1] As a young woman, Emma's daughter saw her mother reasonably frequently, but later when Emma fell into debt, Miss Carew worked abroad as a companion or governess.^{[citation needed]}

Emma was at Greville's mercy and acceded to his request to change her name to "Emma Hart". Greville kept Emma in a house at Edgeware Row, but he was in love with her and, wanting a painting of her, sent her to sit for his friend, the painter, George Romney. Romney painted many of his most famous portraits of Emma at this time. Indeed, Romney maintained a lifelong obsession with her, sketching her nude and clothed in many poses that he used in paintings he made in her absence. Through the popularity of Romney's work and particularly of his striking-looking young model, Emma became well known in society circles, under the name of "Emma Hart". She learned quickly and was elegant, witty and intelligent. And, as paintings of her attest, Emma was also extremely beautiful.

George Romney was fascinated by her looks and ability to adapt to the ideals of the age. Romney and other artists painted her in many guises.

In 1783, Greville needed to find a rich wife to replenish his finances (in the form of eighteen-year-old heiress Henrietta Middleton). Emma would be a problem, as he disliked being known as her lover (this having become apparent to all through her fame in Romney's artworks), and his prospective wife would not accept him as a suitor if he lived openly with Emma Hart.

To be rid of Emma, Greville persuaded his uncle, Sir William Hamilton, British Envoy to Naples, to take her off his hands. Greville's marriage would be useful to Sir William, as it relieved him of having Greville as a poor relation. To promote his plan, Greville suggested to Sir William that Emma would make a very pleasing mistress, assuring him that, once married to Henrietta Middleton, he would come and fetch Emma back. Emma's famous beauty was by then well-known to Sir William, so much so that he even agreed to pay the expenses for her journey to ensure her speedy arrival. He was interested in her, as a great collector of antiquities and beautiful objects, and that was how he first viewed Emma. He had long been a happily married man, now in his mid-fifties, and he liked female companionship very much. His home in Naples was well known all over the world for hospitality and refinement. He needed a hostess for his salon, and from what he knew about Emma, she would be the perfect choice.

Greville did not inform Emma of his plan, instead suggesting the trip as a prolonged holiday in Naples while he (Greville) was away in Scotland on business. Emma was thus sent to Naples, supposedly for six to eight months, little realising that she was going as the mistress of her host. She became furious when she realized what Greville had planned for her. But in fact this was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Sir William was smitten with Emma and, to Greville's shock, married her on 6 September 1791 at Saint Mary-le-bone, Middlesex, England. This gave her the title Lady Hamilton. At the time of their marriage Saint Mary-le-bone Parish was one of the largest in England. It is interesting to note that despite all her name changes during her early life when she married she used her birth name of Amy Lyons.

Lady Hamilton became a close friend of Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand I of Naples. As wife of the British Envoy, Emma welcomed Nelson in 1793, when he came to gather reinforcements against the French. He returned to Naples five years later, on 22 September 1798 (with his eighteen-year-old stepson, Josiah)^[2], a living legend, after his victory at the Battle of the Nile in Aboukir. However, Nelson's adventures had prematurely aged him: he had lost an arm and most of his teeth, and was afflicted by coughing spells. Emma reportedly flung herself upon him in admiration, calling out, "Oh God, is it possible?", as she fainted against him. Nelson wrote effusively of Emma to his increasingly estranged wife, Lady Fanny Nelson^[3]. Emma and Sir William escorted Nelson to their home - the Palazzo Sessa.

Emma nursed Nelson under her husband's roof, and arranged a party with 1,800 guests to celebrate his 40th birthday. They soon fell in love and their affair seems to have been tolerated, and perhaps even encouraged, by the elderly Sir William, who showed nothing but admiration and respect for Nelson, and vice-versa. Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson were by now the two single most famous Britons in the world. They were not only in love with each other, but admired each other to the point of adulation. They were, so to speak, also in love with both their own fame, and that of their lover.

Emma had by then become not only a close personal friend of Queen Maria Carolina, but had developed into an important political influence. She advised the Queen on how to react to the threats from the French Revolution. Maria Carolina's sister Marie Antoinette had fallen a victim to the Revolution. In 1799 Naples was the scene of a strange revolution, led by members of the aristocracy. The people did not care for the revolution. French troops were welcomed and the Royal family fled to Sicily. From here Nelson tried to help the Royal family put down the revolutionaries. He had absolutely no support from the British government. He even executed one of the leaders of the revolution, the Admiral Caracciolo. Emma Hamilton tried to create a parallel between the revolution in Naples and the Irish uprising in 1798.

On Nelson's recall to Britain shortly afterwards, Nelson, Emma and William took the longest possible route back to Britain via Central Europe (hearing the Missa in Angustiis by Joseph Haydn that now bears Nelson's name in Vienna in 1800), and eventually arrived in Britain later in 1800 to a hero's welcome. The three then lived together openly, and the affair became public knowledge, which eventually induced the Admiralty to send Nelson back to sea, if only to get him away from Emma.

Nelson perhaps had the idea that he could divorce his wife only after a decisive victory. Sir William also remained an obstacle. In fact the two lovers, who both loved and respected Hamilton, had to wait for his death to even contemplate marriage. Emma would not even consider the possibility of divorce. That would taint her for life, and, even worse, taint Nelson.

Emma gave birth to Nelson's daughter Horatia, on 31 January 1801^[4] at Sir William's rented home in Clarges Street, 23 Piccadilly, London. By the autumn of the same year, Nelson bought Merton Place, a small ramshackle house on the outskirts of modern day Wimbledon. There he lived openly with Emma, Sir William, and Emma's mother, in a ménage à trois that fascinated the public.^[5] The newspapers reported on their every move, looking to Emma to set fashions in dress, home decoration and even dinner party menus. But Emma's great days were over. She had become obese, and Nelson did not like the social life she craved. She had turned down the offer from the Royal Opera in Madrid to sing for money. Now she and Nelson tried to create a new, quieter life.

Sir William died in 1803 and Nelson returned to sea soon after, leaving Emma pregnant with their second child (by Nelson). She was desperately lonely, preoccupied with attempting to turn Merton Place into the grand home Nelson desired, and frantic for his return. The child, a girl, died a few weeks after her birth in early 1804^[6]. Emma reportedly distracted herself by gambling, and spending lavishly. Now she was free to marry Nelson, if he could only obtain a divorce.

After Nelson's death in 1805, Emma quickly exhausted the small pension Sir William had left her and fell deeply into debt. Nelson had willed his estate to his brother; he gave Merton Place to Emma, but she depleted her finances by trying to keep it up as a monument to him. In spite of Nelson's status as a national hero, the instructions he left to the government to provide for Emma and Horatia were ignored. They showered honours on Nelson's brother instead.

Emma spent a year in a virtual debtor's prison, in the company of Horatia, before moving to France to try to escape her creditors. Turning to drink, she died in poverty of amoebic dysentery, an illness she probably picked up in her years living in Naples (Sir William Hamilton also suffered from this) in Calais, in January 1815.

Horatia subsequently married the Rev. Philip Ward and lived until 1881. She had ten children: Horatio Nelson (born 8 December 1822); Eleanor Phillipa (born April 1824); Marmaduke Philip Smyth (born 27 May 1825); John James Stephen (13 February 1827–1829); Nelson (born 8 May 1828); William George (born 8 April 1830); Edmund Nelson (1831); Horatia Nelson (born 24 November 1833), Philip (born May 1834) and Caroline (born January 1836).

Horatia never publicly recognized that she was indeed the daughter of Emma Hamilton.

Emma, Lady Hamilton (Neston, 1761; bautizada el 12 de mayo de 1765 – Calais, 15 de enero de 1815) fue una dama inglesa, esposa del embajador de Inglaterra en Nápoles, conocida sobre todo por haber sido la amante de Lord Nelson y como la musa de George Romney.

Su nombre al nacer era el de Emy Lyon. Su lugar de nacimiento fue Ness cerca de Neston, Cheshire, Inglaterra. Su padre, un herrero llamado Henry Lyon, murió cuando ella tenía dos meses de edad. Su madre, de soltera Mary Kidd, crió a Emy en Hawarden, pero sin ninguna educación formal. No se conocen muchos detalles de su infancia. Se sabe que a los doce años trabajaba como doncella en la casa del doctor Honoratus Leigh Thomas, un cirujano que trabajaba en Chester. Después trabajó para la familia Budd en Chatham Place, Blackfriars; allí conoció a una doncella llamada Jane Powell, que quería ser actriz, y que ensayaba con Emma papeles trágicos. Después de su corta estancia en Londres, Emma volvió con su madre, quien estaba viviendo cerca de Oxford Street. Inspirada por el entusiasmo de Jane hacia el teatro, Emma comenzó a trabajar en el teatro de Drury Lane en Covent Garden, como doncella de varias actrices, entre ellas Mary Robinson.

Más tarde fue modelo y bailarina en un establecimiento conocido como "Goddess of Health" (Diosa de la salud) y también como el "Temple of Health" (El templo de la salud) para el doctor James Graham, un médico cuáquero escocés. La mayor atracción del establecimiento era una cama a través de la que pasaba la electricidad, dando ligeros choques a los clientes que pagaban por tenderse allí. Se suponía que con ello ayudaba a la concepción, y las parejas infértiles pagaban por probarlo.

Cuando Emma tenía quince años conoció a Sir Harry Featherstonhaugh, quien se la llevó a su finca rural Uppark en South Downs. Allí fue su amante y actuaba como anfitriona en fiestas. A finales de junio y principios de julio del año 1781, Emma quedó embarazada de Sir Harry. Por la misma época hizo amistad con uno de los invitados, el aburrido pero sincero Honorable Charles Francis Greville (1749–1809), segundo hijo del primer Conde de Warwick, y miembro del Parlamento por Warwick. Emma marchó a Londres, donde se cree que Sir Harry la acomodó. Cuando nació la hija de Emma y Sir Harry, Emma Carew, se la quitaron para que la criaran unos tales señor y señora Blackburn.[1

Para entonces, Emma ya era amante de Greville, quien la mantenía en una casa sita en Edgeware Row. Éste le pidió que se cambiara el nombre por el de "Emma Hart". Hizo que posara para su amigo, el pintor, George Romney. Romney pintó muchos de sus más famosos retratos de Emma en esta época. De hecho, Romney mantuvo una obsesión por ella que le duró toda la vida; muchos de los numerosos esbozos que hizo de ella en esta época, tanto desnuda como vestida, le sirvieron posteriormente para pintar cuadros de Emma cuando esta no se encontraba ya en Inglaterra. A partir de los cuadros puede verse que era extremadamente hermosa. Además, comenzó a ser conocida en los círculos sociales bajo su nuevo nombre de "Emma Hart", donde gracias a un rápido aprendizaje, resultaba elegante, ingeniosa e inteligente. Ahora bien, en el año 1783, Greville necesitaba encontrar una mujer rica que lo mantuvieran en un buen estado financiero, y planeó casarse con la heredera de dieciocho años Henrietta Middleton. A través de las obras de arte de Romney, Emma resultaba muy conocida, y el hecho de que Greville viviera abiertamente con ella sería un obstáculo para que Henrietta lo aceptara como pretendiente.

Para deshacerse de Emma, Greville convenció a su tío, Sir William Hamilton, el legado británico en Nápoles, para que se la quitara de encima. A Sir William le convenía que Greville se casara, pues así se libraba de un pariente pobre. Sir William era un cincuentón aficionado a las antigüedades y los objetos bellos, y conocía la famosa belleza de Emma. Había sido durante mucho tiempo un hombre felizmente casado. Su hogar en Nápoles era bien conocido por todo el mundo por su hospitalidad y refinamiento.

Emma desconocía estos planes, y Greville se limitó a plantearle el viaje a Nápoles como unas prolongadas vacaciones de seis a ocho meses mientras él (Greville) estaba fuera en Escocia por negocios.

Ya en Nápoles, Emma se convirtió amante de Sir William. Desarrolló como entretenimiento social un tipo de espectáculo mímico que ella llamaba attitudes, "posturas" o "actitudes". Utilizaba la idea de Romney de combinar poses clásicas con encanto moderno como la base de sus actos. Esta mezcla de pose pictórica, danza y teatro lo realizó por vez primera en la primavera de 1787 ante un gran grupo de invitados europeos, que pronto aceptaron esta nueva forma de entretenimiento, intentando averiguar los nombres de los personajes clásicos y las escenas que Emma representaba.

Para sus "Posturas", Emma hizo que su modista le confeccionara trajes siguiendo el modelo de las campesinas isleñas del golfo de Nápoles, vestimentas flojas como las que lucía cuando posaba para Romney. La interpretación causó sensación en toda Europa. Usando unos pocos chales, posaba como diversas figuras clásicas, desde Medea hasta la reina Cleopatra, y sus interpretaciones encantaron a todo el mundo, aristócratas, artistas como Marie-Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, escritores — incluyendo al gran Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — y reyes y reinas por igual, estableciendo nuevas tendencias de danza por toda Europa y empezando una moda por el estilo de ropa drapeado de la Grecia antigua. También el afamado escultor Bertel Thorvaldsen admiró su arte. Emma también era una aficionada a la canción con cierto talento.

Sir William estaba locamente enamorado de Emma y, para gran sorpresa de Greville, se casó con ella el 6 de septiembre de 1791 en Saint Mary-le-bone, Middlesex, Inglaterra, con lo que pasó a ser conocida como Lady Hamilton al ser la esposa de un caballero. Cuando se casó usó su nombre de nacimiento: Amy Lyons.

Lady Hamilton se convirtió en íntima amiga de la reina María Carolina, esposa de Fernando I de Nápoles. Como esposa del enviado británico, Emma dio la bienvenida a Nelson en 1793, cuando acudió a recoger refuerzos contra los franceses. Regresó a Nápoles cinco años después, el 22 de septiembre de 1798 (con su hijastro de dieciocho años, Josiah)^[2] , una leyenda viva, después de su victoria en la batalla del Nilo en Abukir. Sin embargo, las aventuras habían envejecido prematuramente a Nelson: había perdido un brazo y la mayor parte de sus dientes, y estaba afligido por ataques de tos. Supuestamente, Emma se le echó encima con admiración, exclamando, "Oh Dios, ¿es esto posible?", y se desmayó contra él. Nelson escribió efusivamente sobre Emma a la esposa de la que se estaba separando poco a poco, Lady Fanny Nelson^[3] . Emma y Sir William escoltaron a Nelson a su casa - el Palazzo Sessa.

Emma cuidó de Nelson bajo el techo de su esposo, y organizó una fiesta con 1.800 invitados para celebrar el 40.º aniversario de él. Pronto se enamoraron y parece que su relación fue tolerada, incluso animada, por Sir William, de mayor edad, quien no mostró sino admiración y respeto por Nelson, y a la inversa. Emma Hamilton y Horatio Nelson eran para entonces los británicos más famosos del mundo. No sólo estaban enamorados, sino que se admiraban mutuamente hasta llegar a la adulación. También estaban, por así decirlo, enamorados con su fama y la de su amante.

Emma se había convertido para entonces no sólo en amiga personal de la reina María Carolina, sino que había desarrollado una importante influencia política. Aconsejó a la reina sobre cómo reaccionar frente a las amenazas de la Revolución Francesa. La hermana de María Carolina, María Antonieta había caído víctima de la Revolución. En 1799 se produjo en Nápoles una extraña revolución, dirigida por miembros de la aristocracia, más que por el pueblo. La familia real se marchó a Sicilia. Desde aquí Nelson intentó ayudar a la familia real a aplastar a los revolucionarios. Incluso ejecutó a uno de los líderes de la revolución, el almirante Caracciolo.

Poco después Nelson fue llamado a Gran Bretaña, y Nelson, Emma y William usaron la ruta más larga posible para volver a Gran Bretaña a través de Europa central. En Viena, en 1800, oyeron la Missa in Angustiis de Joseph Haydn que hoy lleva el nombre de Nelson. Ese mismo año llegaron a Gran Bretaña, donde se le dio la bienvenida a Nelson como un héroe. Los tres vivieron entonces juntos de manera abierta, y el asunto se hizo de dominio público, lo que al final indujo al Almirantazgo a enviar a Nelson de vuelta al mar, aunque sólo fuera para apartarlo de Emma.

Emma dio a luz a la hija de Nelson Horatia, el 31 de enero de 1801^[4] en la casa alquilada por Sir William en Clarges Street, 23 Piccadilly, Londres. En otoño de ese mismo año, Nelson compró Merton Place, una pequeña casa destartalada en las afueras de lo que actualmente es Wimbledon. Allí vivió abiertamente con Emma y Sir William, en un ménage à trois que fascinó al público.^[5] Los periódicos contaban todos sus movimientos, recurriendo a Emma para ver qué se ponía de moda en ropa, decoración e incluso menúes festivos.

Pero pronto Nelson prefirió una vida más tranquila, lejos de la vida social que tanto ansiaba Emma. Sir William murió en 1803 y Nelson volvió al mar poco después, dejando a Emma embarazada con el segundo hijo de la pareja. Era una niña que murió a las pocas semanas de nacer, a principios del año 1804.^[6] Al año siguiente, murió Nelson.

Los Últimos Años

Tras la muerte de Nelson, Emma agotó muy rápido la pequeña pensión que Sir William le había dejado, y contrajo muchas deudas. Nelson había dejado su patrimonio a su hermano; él dio Merton Place a Emma, pero ella agotó sus finanzas intentando mantenerlo como un monumento a él. A pesar del estatus de Nelson como héroe nacional, las instrucciones que dejó al gobierno de proveer las necesidades de Emma y Horatia fueron ignoradas. En lugar de ello, honraron al hermano de Nelson.

Emma pasó un año en una prisión por deudas, en la compañía de Horatia, antes de trasladarse a Francia para intentar escapar de sus acreedores. Se dio a la bebida y murió en la pobreza por enfermedad en Calais, en enero de 1815.

Lady Hamilton as Ariadne by Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, 1790

Thanks To Wikipedia for data and photos

Also to Project Gutenberg