George Romney

Adam Albrecht Aivazovsky Ivan Konstantinovich Aken Joseph van Aladar Padly Allom Thomas Backer, Attributed to Jacob de Backhuysen Ludolph Balen I Hendrick van Barker of Bath Thomas Bassano Workshop of Jacopo Bassano II Francesco Baumgartner-Stoiloff Adolf (Constantin) Beer I. de Begeyn Abraham Jansz. Bella Stefano della Benois Albert Nikolayevich Benois Nikolai Leontjewitsch Berchem Nicholaes Berckheyde Gerrit Adriaensz. Blaas Julius von Bloemaert Abraham Blommaert Abraham Bogaert Hendrick Bogoliubov Alexei Petrovich Boilly Louis Léopold Boissieu Jean-Jacques de Boitmanis Ulrihs Bordone Paris Borisov Alexander Alekseevich Bossche Balthasar van den Bossoli Carlo Boudewijns Adraen Frans Bough Samuel Bray Jan de Brewer Henry Charles Bristow Edmund Broeck Elias van den Brueghel II Jan Bryullov Karl Pavlovich Burhardt Feodor Karlovich Carlone Giovanni Andrea Casanova Francesco Giuseppe Casteels Pauwels Castro Lorenzo A. Cats Jacob Ceulen Cornelis Jonson van Charlemagne Adolphe Josefovich Charlemagne Joseph Josefovich Codde, Attributed to Pieter Jacobs Cole George Conca Sebastiano Conca Tomasso Maria Constable John Cooper Thomas Sidney Cotes, R.A. Francis Cotman Frederick George Craesbeeck Joos van Crampton Sir John Cranach the Elder Lucas Creara Sante Crespi Giuseppe Maria Crome John Cuyp Benjamin Gerritsz David Giovanni Decker Cornelis Gerritsz. Dmitriev-Kavkazsky Lev Evgrafovich Dobuzhinsky Mstislav Valerianovich Domenichini, The Master of the Langmatt Foundation Views Apollonio Facchinetti, called Droochsloot Joost Cornelisz Dubovskoy Nikolai Nikanorovich Dujardin Karel Duvieux Henri Ellis Tristram English School Everdingen Allaert van Faed R.S.A. John Feldmann Valentin Augustowitsch Ferg Franz de Paula Filippov Konstantin Nikolaevich Fischer Johann Georg Paul Franken Paul von French School Frost George Albert Gabashvili Gigo Gabbiani Antonio Domenico Gedlek Ludwig Gerlach Otto Goeree Jan Gordon Sir Thomas Edward Gorschelt Fedor Federovich Goyen Jan van Gradovsky N. Grigoriev Boris Dmitrievich Grimaldi, il Bolognese Giovanni Francesco Grimmer Abel Groningen Jan Swart van Guardi Giacomo Guardi Gianantonio Hackaert Jan Hackert Jacob Philipp Harding James Duffield Harlamoff Alexei Alekseevich Havell William Heeremans Thomas Herring Jnr John Frederick Hilair Jean-Baptiste Hoet Gerard Ibbetson Julius Caesar Issupoff Alexei Vladimirovich Ivanov Ivan Andreevich Jankowsky Johann Wilhelm Kalf Willem Kapustin Grigorij Ivanovich Karazin Nikolai Nikolaevich Karlsonn Konstantin Kennington Eric Keuninck the Elder Kerstiaen de Key Adriaen Thomasz. Key Attributed to Adriaen Thomasz. Klodt von Jurgensburg Baron Mikhail Konstantinovich Koerner Ernest Karl Eugen Kolchin Petr Petrovich Kolesnikov Stepan Feodorovich Kollmann Karl Ivanovich Kondratenko Gavril Pavlovich Koninck Daniël de Kotov Nikolai Grigorievich Krachkovsky Josef Evstafievich Kravchenko Aleksey Ilyich Lagorio Lev Felixovich Lallemand Attributed to Jean-Baptiste Lancerey Yevgeny Alexandrovich Lanciano Polidoro de Renzi, called Polidoro da Landseer Charles Langer Olaf Viggo Peter Lattry Mikhail Pelopidovich Le Prince Jean-Baptiste Lee Frederick Richard Lingelbach Johannes Loo Carle van Loutherbourg, R.A. Philipe-Jacques de Lovatti Count Matteo Ludoviki Pierre Alexandrovich Parisot, called Luti Benedetto Maes Nicolaes Maevsky Mechislav Silvesterovich Maggiotto Domenico Maistre Count Xavier de Mak Paul Makovsky Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky Vladimir Egorovich Maliavin Philip Andreyevich Malyshev Nikolai Tarasievich Man Cornelis de Marieschi Circle of Michele Martos Nikita Ivanovich Martynov Andrey Yefimovich Massys Jan Mathauser Josef McConnell William Michallon Achille Etna Mieris Willem van Molenaer II Jan Molijn Pieter de Mols Robert Charles Gustave Laurens Momper Philippe de Momper II Joos de Montferrand After Auguste Ricard De Moor Carel de Morandi Giovanni Maria Moucheron Frederik de Nash Frederick Neapolitan School Neeffs The Elder Pieter Nesterov Mikhail Vasilevich Neyn Pieter de Nikitin Ivan Nikitich North Italian School Opitz Georg Emmanuel Orizzonte Jan Frans van Bloemen, called Orlov J Orlovsky Alexander Osipovich Ovsyannikov Sergey Osipovich Palmieri Pietro Giacomo Panini Follower of Giovanni Paolo Panini Giovanni Paolo Pantoja de la Cruz Juan Parme Jean-Antoine Julien, called Julien de Patersson Benjamin Pavlikevitch J Pellegrini Giovanni Antonio Perez, von Baron Josef Berres Pierre Jean-Baptist-Marie Pillement Jean-Baptiste Piola Domenico Pocock Nicholas Poelenburch Cornelis van Poerson Charles Poplavsky Ludvig Ludvigovich Premazzi Luigi Ossipovich Preziosi Count Amadeo Prianishnikov Ivan Petrovich Repin Ilya Yefimovich Repton Humphrey Richards John Inigo Roepel Coenraet Rogier Camille Rombouts Salomon Romney George Roubaud Franz Alekseevich Russian School Ruysdael Salomon van Sabatelli Luigi Savitsky Georgy Konstantinovich Schmerling Oskar Schmidt Genrikh Genrikhovich Schongauer Follower of Martin School Florentine School Mid-Sixteenth Century Anglo-Netherlandish School, c.1535 Flemish School, Eighteenth Century Venetian Schreyer Christian Adolf Schwarz Attributed to Christoph Schwarz Christoph Sellaer Vincent Shishkin Ivan Ivanovich Siberechts Jan Siemiradzki Henryk Simpson William Snyders Frans Snyders and Studio Frans Sokolov Pyotr Petrovich Solimena Francesco South Netherlandish School Spranger Bartholomäus Stanfield George Clarkson Stanfield RA Clarkson Stevaerts Palamedes Palamedesz., called Stevens Stone Frank Stoop Maerten Strechine Stephanie von Sustris Lambert Sverchkov Nicholai Egorovich Svetoslavsky Sergei Ivanovich Teniers II David Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tintoretto Domenico Toorenvliet Jacob Traballesi Bartolommeo Trutovsky Konstantin Alexandrovich Turner, R.A. Joseph Mallord William Tweenhuysen II Helmich von Uden Lucas van Valckenborch Lucas van Valentin Emile Vanvitelli Circle of Gaspar van Wittel, called Varley John Vasilev Ivan Vasnetsov Apollinary Mikhailovich Velde Adriaen van de Velde Esaias van de Velde the Younger Willem van de Venetian School Verburgh Dionijs Vereschagin Petr Petrovich Verschuring Hendrik Verschuur Wouter Vickers Alfred Gomersal Victors Jan Vignali Jacopo Villiers de l'Isle Adam Emile Samoilovich Visotsky Konstantin Semeonovich Vladimirov Ivan Alekseevich Vlieger Simon Jacobsz de Voloshin Maksimilian Aleksandrovich Vorobiev Sokrat Maksimovich Vorsterman Jan Vrancx Sebastian Ward James Watteau, called Watteau of Lille Louis-Joseph Webb James Weiss Joseph Andreas Wet I Jacob Willemsz. de Wheatley, R.A. Francis Wijnants Jan Wilson Alexander Wingfield James Digman Withoos Matthias Wouwerman Philips Wtewael Joachim Anthonisz. Wyck Thomas Yakovlev Aleksandr Evgen'evich Zeeman Reinier Nooms, called Zhukovsky Rudolf Kazimirovich Zommer Richard Karlovich Zucchi Attributed to Antonio

eorge Romney

(Dalton 1734 - Kendal 1802)

Biography

Portrait of a Gentleman, Half-Length, Wearing a Dark Coat and White Stock

Biography

George Romney was a British painter—portraitist by profession but historical painter by inclination—who was born, trained, and began his career in the north of England. In 1762, he moved to London, where he exhibited at the Society of Arts and later at the Free Society and the Society of Artists. He was an assiduous student of prints after old masters and casts after the Antique; moreover, from 1773 to 1775 he was in Italy studying and copying old master paintings and classical sculptures in the original. These endeavours bore fruit in his portraits, which often contain discreet echoes of classical poses and draperies and of compositions by such painters as Raphael and Poussin. As he was more inclined to Neoclassicism than most British 18th-century portraitists, Romney's figures have long flowing contours and simple forms, which combined well with the demands of contemporary fashion, so that his sitters almost always appear elegant and beautiful.

Romney's ‘other’ life as a historical painter is reflected in his friendships with such radical and intense figures as Flaxman and the poet William Haley; in 1790, he went with the latter to Paris, where they admired the latest works by Jacques-Louis David and met the painter. Romney's own successes as a history painter were limited, but he made many hundreds of wild pen and wash drawings illustrating subjects from the classics, Shakespeare, and Milton. Extravagantly over-valued for his flimsiest portraits 100 years ago, Romney is now seriously under-studied.

Romney was by nature sensitive and introspective. He held himself aloof from the Royal Academy and his fellow artists, making his friends in philosophical and literary circles. About 1781-82 he met Emma Hart (later Lady Hamilton), who exercised a morbid fascination over him. For Romney she became a means of escape into an imaginary, ideal world. His "divine Emma" appears in more than 50 paintings, in guises ranging from a bacchante to Joan of Arc. Almost all were painted from memory.

Collections
Romney is represented in the following collections: National Portrait Gallery, London; Royal Academy of Arts Collection, London; Tate Gallery, London; The Wallace Collection, London; Courtauld Institute of Art, London; Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford; National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh; Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, UK; The Louvre, Paris; Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, New York; Art Institute of Chicago Collection; Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indiana; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Art Gallery of South Australia, amongst others.

George Romney (1734 - 1802)