Skip to main content

George Romney Paintings

English, 1734-1802

George Romney is best known as one of British society’s foremost portrait painters of the 18th century, rivaling other widely acknowledged portraitists such as Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds.

Born in 1734 in Dalton-on-Furness, Romney was the son of a cabinetmaker. In 1755, he began his artistic career as an apprentice to portrait painter Christopher Steele before traveling to northern England to establish a painting studio in Kendal. Romney’s talent in portraiture proved fruitful. By 1762, he had made enough money to set up a studio in London, where he became renowned for an “ability to paint flattering images regardless of personality.” 

During the 1760s, Romney had hoped to become a history painter but was unsuccessful. To refine and improve his technique, he traveled to Rome in 1773, where he spent two years studying the Old Masters, including Titian, Correggio and Raphael. While there, he was also influenced by the works of Swiss painter Henry Fuseli.  

Upon his return to London, in 1775, and with his newly honed painting style, Romney became even more popular among the British aristocracy and nobility. Although his primary aspiration was to make a living as a historical painter, Romney was in demand as a portraitist. His favorite subjects were children and women, particularly his muse, Emma Hart — who later became Lady Hamilton and mistress of Admiral Lord Nelson. Romney painted several Romantic portraits and drew many sketches of Lady Hamilton, whom he considered to represent the ideal of feminine beauty.

In his later years, Romney produced several portraits and drawings of Shakespearean subjects for John Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery in 1790. 

Romney’s figurative works, portraits and prints are held in collections of numerous major museums and galleries, including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection in New York. In 2002, an exhibition commemorating the bicentenary of Romney’s death was organized by the National Museums Liverpool in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery and the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Gardens in San Marino, California. 

On 1stDibs, find a range of original George Romney drawings, paintings and prints.

to
1
1
1
2
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
3
1
1
3
2
4
4
4
3
2
1
1
4
4
2
2
8
787
690
651
578
3
3
1
Artist: George Romney
Portrait of Anne Evelyn - British 18thC Old master oil painting excellent prov.
By George Romney
Located in London, GB
This stunning British 18th century Old Master portrait oil painting, with exceptional provenance, is by noted artist George Romney. It was painted in 1788, commissioned by James Evelyn of Felbridge as it is of his younger daughter Anne, aged 20 years old. James was a Doctor of Law and Anne's mother was his second wife, Jane. Felbridge house, Anne's home, was in the village of Godstone in Surrey. This superb oil painting is a seated portrait of Anne, wearing a white dress with a green sash, her forearms exposed and her hands in her lap. Anne is blessed with the most wonderful long auburn curly hair and is visually stunning. Her body is partly turned away from the artist/viewer and she is slightly gazing down at us with confident, clear eyes. Anne is pictured in a landscape with a dramatic sky behind her. Romney's brushwork on her dress, hair and the background is superb. The delicate detailing of her facial features is also stunning. Sometimes Old Master portraits can be a little staid, but this one of Anne with her wild auburn hair and bold look is just magnificent. This is a fantastic example of George Romney's work and of an 18th century British Old Master with exceptional detailed provenance. Name plate states: Anne, younger daughter of James Evelyn of Fellbridge Esq. 1788, aged 20. Romney. Provenance. With Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool (1784-1851) With The Hon. Henry Berkeley Portman (1860-1923), Later 3rd Viscount Portman; with Emma, Viscountess Portman (1862-1929) By 1926; with her daughter Lady Moyra Dawson-Damer (1897-1962) Thence by family descent. Painted in 1788. There are various labels verso. Mentioned in Lord Hawkesbury's Catalogues of Portraits at Compton Place and at Buxted Park, in Sussex, 1903, p.18, no. 3, at Buxted Park, as in the 'Dining Room, South Wall'. Further Bibliography: Gower (R. S.) Romney, London, 1904, p. 175 Kidson (Alex) George Romney, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015, I, p. 205, no. 422 (illus).Ward (Humphrey) and Roberts (William) Romney: A Biographical and Critical Essay, London: T Agnew & Sons, 1904, p. 51 Condition. Oil on canvas. Image size 30 inches by 24 inches and in good condition. Frame. Housed in an ornate gilt frame with name plate, 37 inches by 31 inches and in good condition. George Romney (1734-1802) was born in Dalton-on-Furness, Lancashire, on 15 December 1734, the third of the eleven children of John Romney and Anne Simpson. Leaving school at the age of eleven, he worked for eight years in his father's cabinetmaking workshop before being apprenticed to a local painter, Christopher Steele, with whom he served for two years, from 1755 to 1757, in Kendal, York, and Lancaster. He married a Kendal girl, Mary Abbot...
Category

1780s Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil

Oil Painting by George Romney "Portraits of a Lady and Gentleman"
By George Romney
Located in Mere, GB
Oil Painting Pair circle of by George Romney "Portraits of a Lady and Gentleman" 1734 - 1802 Romney was a leadway society portrait painter of the Georgian ear...
Category

1780s George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Lady Caroline Price
By George Romney
Located in Miami, FL
DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the best Romney in private hands. If Vogue Magazine existed in the late 18th century, this image of Lady Caroline Price would be ...
Category

1970s Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of a Lady, Oil on canvas, 18th English Century Painting
By George Romney
Located in London, GB
Oil on canvas Image size: 22 x 20 inches (22.75 x 51 cm) Pierced gilt frame This half-length portrait shows the sitter with her head and eyes looking over her shoulder, to the right. She is dressed in a delicate blue dress and blue shawl with her hair tied up away from her face. The composition of the painting is simple but effective; the woman stands out and is the undeniable focus of the viewer's attention. George Romney's artistic style is characterised by its focus on the beauty and elegance of human forms. Here, one can appreciate his ability to capture the delicacy of facial features and the soft textures of clothing. In addition, Romney has used a soft and diffuse brushstroke technique that creates a light and soft effect in the work. The dark and diffused background highlights the young woman's figure even more, creating an effect of depth and realism. It is possible that this sitter is Miss Anne Dutton. George Romney Romney was a fashionable portrait painter of late 18th-century English society. In his portraits Romney avoided delving into the character or sensibilities of the sitter. His great success with his society patrons depended largely on just this ability for dispassionate flattery. Line rather than colour dominates; the flowing rhythms and easy poses of Roman classical sculpture underlie the smooth patterns of his compositions. From 1755 to 1757 Romney was the pupil of Christopher Steele, an itinerant portrait and genre painter. Romney’s career began when he toured the northern English counties painting portraits for a few guineas each. In 1762 he went to London. His history painting The Death of General Wolfe won him an award from the Society of Arts; nonetheless he turned almost immediately to portrait painting. In 1764 he paid his first visit to Paris, where he was befriended by Joseph Vernet. Romney especially admired the work of Nicolas Le Sueur, whose use of the antique strongly appealed to him. In 1773 he went to Italy for two years, where he studied Raphael’s Stanze frescoes in Rome, Titian’s paintings...
Category

18th Century George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Related Items
"Navajita", Mixed Media on Thick Canvas, Figurative Nigh Scene with pocketknife
By Inés Silvalde
Located in FISTERRA, ES
"Navajita" (2018) is a mixed media painting on canvas by Inés Silvalde, measuring 20 x 25 x 3.5 cm. This work, part of the Influencers de Taberna series, captures a surreal yet intim...
Category

2010s Contemporary George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Canvas

Large 18th Century European Oil Painting Portrait of Noble Lady Lace Collars
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Noble Lady European School, 18th century oil on canvas, framed framed: 37.5 inches canvas: 30 x 24.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good ...
Category

18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Large 1700's Italian Oil Painting on Canvas Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Clerical Gentleman Italian artist, mid 18th century Circle of Giovanni Battista Carboni (1725-1790) oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 26 x 22 inches provenance: private c...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Italian 18th Century Oval Religious Oil on Canvas Painting with Saint Dominic
By Francesco de Mura
Located in Firenze, IT
This beautiful Italian 18th Century old masters oil painting on oval canvas with giltwood frame is attributed to Solimena and features a religious scene. In this splendid oval-shaped painting are depicted Saint Dominic...
Category

18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nude goddess oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Tuya Natsagdorj (Mongolia 1970) - Naked Goddess - oil on canvas Oil measures 63x53 cm. Frame measures 66x56 cm. Natsagdorj Tuya is a female artist who graduated from the kyiv School of Theater Arts in Ukraine and the Kyoto School of Art in Japan. Popular painter in the United States and Japan. In 2006 he participated in the exhibition "Mongolian art...
Category

Early 2000s Post-Modern George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 18th Century English Aristocratic Portrait of a Lady Oval Canvas Gilt Frame
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: English School, circa 1740's Title: Portrait of a Lady, traditionally identified as 'Anne of Chesterfield'. Medium: oil painting on canvas, framed Size: painting: ...
Category

Early 18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Realist painter (Italian school) - 19h century figure painting - Child with Ape
Located in Varmo, IT
English painter (19th century) - Young man with monkey. 76.5 x 63.5 cm. Old oil painting on canvas, unframed. Condition report: Lined canvas. Good condition of the painted surface...
Category

Mid-19th Century Romantic George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Óleo sobre tela - Retrato femenino - Año 1855
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior y fechada del año 1855 Se presenta enmarcada la pintura con un marco del siglo xix en madera estucada y policromada (el marco ...
Category

1850s Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Lady oil on canvas painting european art
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: Portrait of a Lady Artist: Rosendo González Carbonell Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 24 x 20 inches (unframed) Condition: Good condition Creation Period: 1970s Signed: Yes,...
Category

1970s Impressionist George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge Antique Dutch Old Master Oil Painting The Jewish Bridge after Rembrandt
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Jewish Bridge antique Dutch School, after the 1660's oil painting by Rembrandt (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) oil painting on canvas, framed in its antique gilt frame with ornate mould...
Category

Late 19th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Nude woman oil on canvas painting portrait
By Joan Palet
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joan Palet (1911 - 1996) - Nude - Oil on canvas Oil measures 81x65 cm. Frameless. Joan Palet was born in Barcelona on March 28, 1911 in a family of sculptors and wood carvers. He b...
Category

1970s Impressionist George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

17th century Dutch Old Master Portrait Painting of a girl with a dog
Located in Aartselaar, BE
Magnificent Dutch 17th century old master portrait of a young girl, possibly a princess, with a dog, attributed to Jan de Baen With its shimmering colors, a cheerful lapdog, and flu...
Category

17th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Previously Available Items
18th Century, English Portrait
By George Romney
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large, softly painted, oil-on-canvas portrait of a British nobleman from the circle of important English artist, George Romney (1734-1802). The piece ...
Category

Late 18th Century George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

English 18th century portrait of Richard Oliver, 1791
By George Romney
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of Richard Oliver, three-quarter length, seated in a green velvet armchair, wearing a navy jacket with gold buttons over a white shirt and silk waistcoat...
Category

18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

18th century Portrait of a Gentleman
By George Romney
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of a gentleman, believed to be Captain John Stables, three-quarter length, seated in an interior on a green velvet chair, wearing a red jacket with gold buttons and with brown breeches. c.1785. A reference to a portrait of a Captain...
Category

18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

English 18th century portrait of Mr Holland, c. 1785
By George Romney
Located in Bath, Somerset
Isherwood Fine Art are pleased to present this fine portrait of a Mr Holland by English artist George Romney (1734-1802). Oil on canvas in the original English Saunders 18th century frame. c.1785. This portrait is featured in Alex Kidson's ', George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings', no. 666, volume 1, page 313, 2015. Mr Holland was recorded by Romney as living in Wimpole Street, London and in Romney's rough lists, this portrait is assigned to 1785, the year for which his sitter book is missing. Romney recorded being paid his 20 guinea fee by Mr Holland on 10 September 1786, and there is an appointment recorded with him on 15 September that year: perhaps a finishing session or Mr Holland collecting the picture. This portrait is believed to be of Richard Holland...
Category

Late 18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Gentleman, English, 18th century.
By George Romney
Located in Bath, Somerset
Portrait of a gentleman, possibly a Mr Scotney, three-quarter length, seated in an interior wearing a red jacket. c.1770. A reference to a portrait of a Mr Scotney is listed in 'Geor...
Category

Mid-18th Century Old Masters George Romney Paintings

Materials

Oil

George Romney paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic George Romney paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by George Romney in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 18th century and is mostly associated with the Old Masters style. Not every interior allows for large George Romney paintings, so small editions measuring 25 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Giulio Di Sotto, and Matthew Cook. George Romney paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $8,855 and tops out at $1,495,000, while the average work can sell for $15,500.
Questions About George Romney Paintings
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    George Romney studied under Christopher Steel from 1755-1757. Romney then went on to become one of the most fashionable portrait artists of his day. You can shop a selection of George Romney’s pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All