John Hoppner RA (4 April 1758 – 23 January 1810[1]) was an English portrait painter, much influenced by Reynolds, who achieved fame as a colourist.

[2] King George showed a fatherly interest and patronage of the young boy that gave rise to rumours, quite unfounded,[2] that he may have been his illegitimate son.

He rarely attempted ideal subjects, though a Sleeping Venus, Belisarius, Jupiter and Io, a Bacchante and Cupid and Psyche are recorded among his works.

[2] According to the 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica:[2] Competent judges have deemed his most successful works to be his portraits of women and children...

When first painted, his works were much admired for the brilliancy and harmony of their colouring, but the injury due to destructive mediums and lapse of time which many of them suffered caused a great depreciation in his reputation.