William Hamilton (1751–1801) was an English painter and illustrator.
Hamilton was born in Chelsea, London, but travelled and worked in Italy with Antonio Zucchi for several years. He trained first as an architectural draftsman, but soon moved to theatrical portraits and scenes from plays.
Hamilton became an associate member of the Royal Academy from 1784, and was made a full member in 1789.
Hamilton became very well known for his paintings depicting episodes from the plays of Shakespeare and for his illustrations of poems. He was commissioned to create works for John Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery, Thomas Macklin's Bible and Robert Bowyer's English History. These were widely reproduced in popular prints.
