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Credit: ©The Royal Society
Image number: RS.9738
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Portrait of Abraham Hill
Date
1650s
Sitter
Abraham Hill (1635 - 1721, British) , Merchant
Creator
Attributed to John Hayls (1595 - 1679, British) , Painter
Object type
Archive reference number
Material
Dimensions
height (painting): 758mm
width (painting): 637mm
height (frame): 850mm
width (frame): 720mm
width (painting): 637mm
height (frame): 850mm
width (frame): 720mm
Subject
Royal Society history & activity
> Founding of the Royal Society
Politics & Government
> Mercantilism
Politics & Government
> Political doctrines
> Colonialism
> Founding of the Royal Society
Politics & Government
> Mercantilism
Politics & Government
> Political doctrines
> Colonialism
Description
Head and shoulders portrait of Abraham Hill regarding the viewer over his right shoulder. Hill’s dress is simple, a dark robe with a white square collar visible at the neck. His plain collar and natural hair, shoulder-length and shorter at the top, are both typical of the style of the 1650s.
In a pine frame with metred joints, and foliage and bead-shot design.
Abraham Hill (1635-1722), British merchant, book and coin collector, was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1660. His administrative abilities led him to the heart of the Society, where he served as a member of Council (1663-1666, 1672-1721), Secretary (1673-1675), Treasurer (1663-1665, 1679-1700) and Vice President (1715-1716), and sat on various committees.
Hill also served as Assistant (1683-85) and Deputy Governor (1688-90) to the Royal African Company, RAC, a Crown-approved British trading company. The RAC was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade, and by the time of Hill’s involvement with it is estimated to have been trading 5,000 enslaved people per year. Hill appears to have been central in securing the Society’s purchase of RAC stock in 1682, overseeing its initial investment worth £250 [CMO/2].
In 1696 Hill was appointed a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations on William and Mary’s newly assembled Board of Trade. He was one of eight salaried Commissioners whose role was to to supervise colonial affairs and protect domestic production and trade, which he did via the nomination of and close contact with colonial governors on their administrative affairs and goods production.
In a pine frame with metred joints, and foliage and bead-shot design.
Abraham Hill (1635-1722), British merchant, book and coin collector, was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society, elected in 1660. His administrative abilities led him to the heart of the Society, where he served as a member of Council (1663-1666, 1672-1721), Secretary (1673-1675), Treasurer (1663-1665, 1679-1700) and Vice President (1715-1716), and sat on various committees.
Hill also served as Assistant (1683-85) and Deputy Governor (1688-90) to the Royal African Company, RAC, a Crown-approved British trading company. The RAC was heavily involved in the transatlantic slave trade, and by the time of Hill’s involvement with it is estimated to have been trading 5,000 enslaved people per year. Hill appears to have been central in securing the Society’s purchase of RAC stock in 1682, overseeing its initial investment worth £250 [CMO/2].
In 1696 Hill was appointed a Commissioner of Trade and Plantations on William and Mary’s newly assembled Board of Trade. He was one of eight salaried Commissioners whose role was to to supervise colonial affairs and protect domestic production and trade, which he did via the nomination of and close contact with colonial governors on their administrative affairs and goods production.
Transcription
Verso: Allen’s Depositories, Ltd. Bournemouth West. [in ink] Mrs Hill
The...[property of] Mrs Ursula Hill Norfolk Lodge Canford Cliffs Bournemouth
Abraham Hill
Plaque: ABRAHAM HILL, F.R.S. (1635-1721) Treasurer 1663-65 and 1679-1700. Secretary 1673-75. by JOHN HALES (on permanent loan from Colonel C.R.Hill).
The...[property of] Mrs Ursula Hill Norfolk Lodge Canford Cliffs Bournemouth
Abraham Hill
Plaque: ABRAHAM HILL, F.R.S. (1635-1721) Treasurer 1663-65 and 1679-1700. Secretary 1673-75. by JOHN HALES (on permanent loan from Colonel C.R.Hill).
Object history
On permanent loan from Mrs Ursula Hill, 1949/50. Following an offer from Ursula Hill, the painting was formally accepted into the Society’s collection on 9 February 1950 and reported to Council on 2 March 1950 [MDA/G/3/2].
Accessioned with a John Hayls attribution. Evidence in support of this is suggestive, derived from the fact that Abraham’s brother’s likeness is a known Hayls portrait [Portrait of Thomas Hill by John Hayls, 1666, Magdelene College, Cambridge], and assuming a familial relationship with this painter. There are some similarities in the handling of Abraham’s portrait, Thomas’s portrait, and other known Hayls’ – small, red mouths, rounded and protuberant eyes, for example – but there are also clear differences. Hayls’ style did develop significantly over his career, leaning more into the Baroque as the 1660s progressed, and it is possible that this portrait is an earlier example from Hayls’ oeuvre.
This portrait was researched with funding from the Understanding British Portraits network. Additional resources can be found at the below links:
Blogpost: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2023/06/seeing-clearly
Google Arts & Culture exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/RQWhU6fgd4jbpA
Accessioned with a John Hayls attribution. Evidence in support of this is suggestive, derived from the fact that Abraham’s brother’s likeness is a known Hayls portrait [Portrait of Thomas Hill by John Hayls, 1666, Magdelene College, Cambridge], and assuming a familial relationship with this painter. There are some similarities in the handling of Abraham’s portrait, Thomas’s portrait, and other known Hayls’ – small, red mouths, rounded and protuberant eyes, for example – but there are also clear differences. Hayls’ style did develop significantly over his career, leaning more into the Baroque as the 1660s progressed, and it is possible that this portrait is an earlier example from Hayls’ oeuvre.
This portrait was researched with funding from the Understanding British Portraits network. Additional resources can be found at the below links:
Blogpost: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2023/06/seeing-clearly
Google Arts & Culture exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/RQWhU6fgd4jbpA
Associated place
