George Romney
1734–1802 · English portrait painter of the 18th century, a leading figure of English Rococo
George Romney (Dalton-in-Furness, 1734 – Kendal, 1802) was one of the most sought-after portrait painters in eighteenth-century England. Born in Lancashire, now Cumbria, he first trained as a cabinet maker in his father's workshop and then as a painter with Christopher Steele in Kendal, where he married Mary Abbot. His career took off in London, where he arrived in 1762 and soon ran a busy portrait practice. He never joined the Royal Academy, a choice that cost him some court patronage, yet his clientele remained large.
Between 1773 and 1775 he travelled to Italy with Ozias Humphry to study in Rome and Parma. On his return he settled in Cavendish Square, in a house once owned by Francis Cotes, and his reputation grew there. His style, with elegant lines and soft colour, blends Rococo taste with close attention to the sitter's character. Among his works are portraits of Lady Hamilton, of the Gower family and of William Pitt the Younger.
In 1782 he met Emma Hart, later Emma Hamilton, who became his muse. He painted her more than sixty times, sometimes in historical or mythological roles, as in Lady Hamilton as a Bacchante. His legacy lies in the body of eighteenth-century British portraiture and in numerous collections in the United Kingdom, North America and elsewhere, including the Prado Museum.
Works (22)
Group portrait of the Gower family, painted by George Romney in 1776. It shows the children of Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Gower, together with other family members gathered in a calm outdoor setting. The record does not specify the commission or the work's original location, so the scene is best read as an image of family unity. Its large format and the careful arrangement of the figures account for its interest as a family portrait.
Portrait of Abraham Rawlinson, a Member of Parliament associated with Ellel Hall, near Lancaster, painted by George Romney in 1760. The available record does not describe the composition, commission or wider context of the work, so any fuller reading of the scene would be speculative. It is held at Judges' Lodgings in Lancaster.
This oil-on-canvas work by George Romney, dated 1800, shows only a fragment centred on a pair of hands. Its small format and its character as a cropped section suggest it may once have belonged to a larger composition, though its origin and purpose are not known with certainty. It is held at the Courtauld Gallery.
Portrait of Emma Hamilton painted by George Romney in 1792, oil on canvas. The sitter is dressed as Mary Magdalene, shown in a pensive pose with her gaze turned upward, so a religious subject is handled through the conventions of portraiture. The record offers no further details about its commission or reception.
Self-portrait by George Romney, painted in oil on canvas in 1784 and held by the National Portrait Gallery. Because it is a self-portrait, the artist depicts himself, offering a direct view of how he chose to present his own image. Without further references available, the commission, context and details of composition or symbolism cannot be established with certainty.
A portrait of Emma Hamilton dressed as a bacchante, a maenad from the retinue of Bacchus. George Romney, one of the most sought-after portraitists in late eighteenth-century England, shows her with a loose gesture and a direct gaze toward the viewer, set in a pastoral, mythological atmosphere. The picture illustrates how portraiture could blend with allegory and classical literature. It is held by the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Portrait of Emma Hamilton painted by George Romney in 1782, in oil on canvas. The sitter appears dressed as 'Nature', an allegorical figure, accompanied by a dog that reinforces the notion of natural life and simplicity. Records of its commission are not available, so the reading focuses on the image itself.
Full-length portrait of Mrs. Alexander Blair, painted by George Romney in 1787 in oil on canvas. The sitter stands with a calm, graceful pose against a restrained setting that keeps attention on her. Romney was a much sought-after portraitist of his day, and this work reflects the natural posing and careful attention to dress typical of his output.
Painted in oil on canvas by George Romney in 1786, this portrait depicts Jane Buller (1747–1823). The work is known as Lady Lemon, a title that probably refers to another name by which the sitter was known. Today it is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Portrait by George Romney dated 1778, showing Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon, with her son George Duncan, Marquess of Huntly. Painted in oil on canvas by an artist active in later eighteenth-century Britain, it is held by the National Galleries of Scotland. The record also names the fifth Duke of Gordon among the sitters, so the identification of the figures calls for some caution.
Portrait by George Romney, dated 1777. It shows a woman beside a boy; the question mark in the title signals that the identity of the sitters is uncertain. The painting is held at the National Gallery in London, and its interest lies mainly in the closeness the artist suggests between the two figures.
A full-length portrait painted by George Romney in 1780, in oil on canvas. The work belongs to the portrait genre and is held at the Kimbell Art Museum. Beyond these details, reliable information about the sitter and the circumstances of the commission is not available.
Full-length portrait painted by George Romney in 1780, depicting Harriot Burton, identified in the title as the Honorable Mrs. Trevor and, in some naming, as Viscountess Hampden. The record offers no further details about the commission, the sittings or the work's reception. What the painting shows is best approached directly: a female figure presented with a restrained elegance typical of portraiture of its period, now held at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
Full-length portrait of Louisa Theodosia Hervey, Countess of Liverpool, painted in 1791 by George Romney in oil on canvas. The record identifies the sitter as Louisa Jenkinson, Countess of Liverpool, and the work is held at Ickworth House. With no further documentation available, it is best to stick to what can be seen: a large-format female figure rendered with the refined elegance typical of late eighteenth-century portraiture.
Where to see the work
- National Portrait Gallery London · 4
- Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City · 2
- Blanton Museum of Art Texas · 1
- Courtauld Gallery London · 1
- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum Avenidas Novas · 1
- The Frick Collection New York City · 1
- Galería Nacional de Arte Washington, D.C. · 1
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia County · 1
- National Galleries Scotland City of Edinburgh · 1
- National Gallery London · 1
- Tate London · 1
- Kimbell Art Museum Fort Worth · 1
- Carnegie Museum of Art Pittsburgh · 1
- Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati · 1
Curiosities
A disputed prize
In 1763 he entered The Death of General Wolfe in a Royal Society of Arts competition. According to his friends he was awarded second prize of 50 guineas, but it was later reduced to 25 on questionable grounds. It is said that Joshua Reynolds was the prime mover behind this, which may explain the lasting aversion between the two men.
A handmade violin
As a boy he showed a gift for drawing and for making things in wood, including violins, which he played for the rest of his life. This manual skill sat alongside his later training as a painter, and music remained one of his interests in Kendal.