Vereker Monteith Hamilton

Who was Vereker Monteith Hamilton?

Vereker Monteith Hamilton was the son of Lieut. Col. Christian Monteith Hamilton of the 92nd Highlanders, and brother of British general Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton. He was a Scottish artist of military and historical works. Born at Hafton, Argyll on February 14, 1856, he followed his brother to Wellington College in 1871-73, and was destined for the army, and traveled to Dresden in 1873 to spend time with Colonel Dammers. However, he chose a career in art instead, following several years in Ceylon from 1873 to 1883 where he grew coffee. He studied art under Alphonse Legros at the Slade School where he won a prize in 1886 for landscape painting. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1886 onwards and at the Paris Salon, Glasgow and at the Grosvenor Gallery. He traveled to India in 1886 and spent a good deal of time there visiting Simla and Kashmir. In late 1893 he was living in Kilberry, Tarbert, Argyllshire.

Hamilton's military works focused primarily on contemporary events such as Piper Findlater at Dargai and the Tirah campaigns. He exhibited two paintings of the latter campaign entitled Missing and Afridis.