William Hamilton RA (1751–1801) was born in Chelsea, London. He belonged to a generation determined to expand the scope of the arts in Britain, travelling to Rome as a teenager to study with painter and printmaker Antonio Zucchi (who was to marry Angelica Kauffman in 1781). On his return to England Hamilton made decorative paintings for architect Robert Adam, then entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1769. After this, he focused on historical and literary subjects—becoming particularly well known for his paintings depicting episodes from the plays of Shakespeare and for his illustrations of poems. He was commissioned to create works for John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery, Thomas Macklin's Bible and Robert Bowyer's English History, which were widely reproduced in popular prints.