Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Emma (1765–1815), Lady Hamilton

Adam Buck's portrait miniature of a woman said to be Emma, Lady Hamilton, painted in 1804 on ivory, depicts the legendary beauty who was the mistress of Lord Nelson and the muse of George Romney. If correctly identified, this portrait would show Emma in her later years, after the fame that had made her the most painted woman in England. Buck, an Irish-born miniaturist working in London, produced elegant portraits in the Neoclassical style.

Buck's miniature on ivory demonstrates his refined technique with delicate brushwork creating luminous flesh tones on the translucent support. The Neoclassical clarity and idealized features reflect the portrait miniature tradition's emphasis on presenting subjects at their most attractive.