Attributed to John Hamilton Mortimer, British 1740-1779- Bardolph, from 'Twelve Characters from Shakespeare'; oil on board, feigned oval, bearing monogram 'JHM' and various pencil inscriptions verso, 35.6 x 30.2 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: John Hamilton Mortimer was an important figure in the development of Romanticism in Britain, and his dramatic scenes, which often took inspiration from literary subjects and were heavily indebted to the art of Salvator Rosa (1615-1673), would become an inspiration to a younger generation of artists, including William Blake (1757-1827). John Hamilton Mortimer produced a series of etchings devoted to characters from Shakespeare, which were based on drawings he exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1775. The present painting is a version of this same subject, representing Bardolph, a low-life companion of Prince Hal and follower of Falstaff in Henry IV, parts I and II. Another, similar oil sketch of Bardolph in profile by Hamilton Mortimer is in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts [acc. no. 71.6].