Dance-Holland R.A., Nathaniel (1735 – 1811) – Portrait of an Officer.

Dance was greatly influenced by Batoni while he was in Italy (1755-1765) and on his return established himself as one of the finest portrait painters of the day. His many works in oil are contrasted with wonderful pencil drawings such as this. More intimate in nature and showing his sitters at ease, they are relatively large in size and were clearly made as finished works to be hung, rather like a pastel portrait. See, for example, the drawing of Dance's sister, Hester Smith (1769) in the Tate, London. We can date this work stylistically, and due to regulations governing some officer's uniforms that began to introduced in 1767.