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.
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 ...
Oil, Canvas
$14,172Sale Price|36% Off
Portrait of a Gentleman, traditionally identified as Edward Addison, Esq., 1780s
By George Romney
Located in Henley-on-Thames, England
George Romney (1734-1802) Portrait of a Gentleman, traditionally identified as Edward Addison, Esq., c.1780s Oil on canvas In a period carved and gilded swept frame 76.3 x 63.2 cm.; ...
Oil
$6,681Sale Price|28% Off
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...
Oil
Portrait of Lady Anne Dutton, Oil on canvas, 18th English Century Painting
By George Romney
Located in London, GB
Oil on canvas, unsigned Image size: 22 x 20 inches (22.75 x 51 cm) Pierced gilt carved frame Provenance Commissioned by James Lenox Dutton (1713-1777) Sherborne House, Dorset Family descent 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. The sitter of this painting is likely Anne Dutton, the daughter of James Lenox Dutton and Jane Bond. Anne Dutton (1743-1821) was the 13 x great great granddaughter of King Edward III, and married politician Samuel Blackwell. Anne sat for portraits by Francis Cotes which bear a striking resemblance to this portrait, and her father was a known patron of Romney. 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...
Canvas, Oil
$1,619
H 16.15 in W 12.01 in
Erasmus of Rotterdam Portrait, 19th Century Oil on Wood Panel
By English School
Located in GB
Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98 – 1543) was one of the greatest painters of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Augsburg, Germany, he was the son of Hans Holbein the Elder, also a pa...
Oil, Wood Panel
$2,790
H 14.18 in W 11.82 in
Portrait of an Old Bearded Man
By Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are pleased to offer a captivating portrait, most likely painted in the late 18th century, attributed to an artist within the circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich. This oil ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$5,348
H 30.71 in W 25.6 in D 0.79 in
18th Century Oil on Canvas Portrait, Major Alexander Brown in Military Uniform.
By Sir David Wilkie
Located in Cotignac, FR
18th Century Military portrait of a young officer in Napoleonic period military dress. The painting is not signed but the subject is Major Alexander Brown. The work is oil on canvas later mounted on board and presented in a fine 'Regence style' carved gilt frame. There are labels to the back referring to the subject, 'Major Brown of Trinity' and a framers trade label from Edinburgh. A magnificent and imposing portrait of a young military officer in the prime of his life. His red uniform adorned with fine buttons, fringed epaulettes and high gilt collar. His ruddy complexion offset by his stylish hair, a quiff and swept forward to the sides as was the fashion at the time. Sir David Wilkie RA (18 November 1785 – 1 June 1841) was a Scottish painter, especially known for his portraits, including formal royal ones, and scenes from his travels to Europe and the Middle East. He painted successfully in a wide variety of genres, including historical scenes. His main base was in London, but he died and was buried at sea, off Gibraltar, returning from his first trip to the Middle East. He was sometimes known as the "people's painter". He was Principal Painter in Ordinary to King William IV and Queen Victoria. Apart from royal portraits, his best-known painting today is probably The Chelsea Pensioners Reading the Waterloo Dispatch of 1822 in Apsley House. Sir David Wilkie was actually admitted in 1799 (despite only being 14) through the influence of the Earl of Leven...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$3,257
H 21.66 in W 23.63 in
In The Mangrove, 21st Century Contemporary Oil Painting, By Anne-Rixt Kuik
By Anne-Rixt Kuik
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Anne Rixt Kuik graduated in 2017 at The Classical Academy of Arts in Groningen. She then went for study to Australia and Florence (Italy). Anne Rixt as a little child visited the Rij...
Oil
$14,510
H 35.83 in W 29.93 in D 3.15 in
Portrait Gentleman Armour, Blue Cloak, Diamond Brooch c.1700 French Carved Frame
By Joseph Vivien
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman in Armour and Azure Cloak with Diamond Brooch c.1700 Attributed to Joseph Vivienne (1657-1735) The sitter in this superb portrait, offered by Titan Fine Art...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
Oil Portrait of a Victorian Lady, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Painted in the 19th century, this exquisite miniature portrait wonderfully exemplifies realism in traditional oil painting. The small artwork is painted in the conventional portraiture style of the Old Masters, and achieves soft realism with fine brushwork and a subdued, neutral palette. The half length portrait depicts a fine Victorian woman dressed in all black with a delicate lace collar and bonnet. She wears a ruby broach...
Oil
$2,790
H 14.18 in W 11.82 in
Portrait of an Old Bearded Man With a Black Cap
By Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich
Located in Stockholm, SE
We are pleased to offer a captivating portrait, most likely painted in the late 18th century, attributed to an artist within the circle of Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich. This oil ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$4,417
H 41.34 in W 49.22 in
ALLEGORICAL SCENE - Giovanni Faliero - Italy Oil on Canvas Painting
By Giovanni Faliero
Located in Napoli, IT
Allegorical Scene - Giovanni Faliero Italia 2009 - Oil on canvas cm. 90x110. This beautiful oil on canvas is the personal reinterpretation of the magnificent painting “Bacchant playing the Cymbals” by Jean-Simon Berthélemy, a French painter of the 18th century. Here we admire a mythological scene showing a naked bacchant playing cymbals next to a wooded stream, with a small sleeping faun...
Canvas, Oil
$12,853
H 41.34 in W 27.56 in D 1.97 in
Melody of Silence- 21st century Contemporary Interior painting with Young Woman
By Ksenya Istomina
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Ksenya Istomina 'Melody of Silence' 105 x 70 cm Oil on linen Painted after life, the artist always works with a real scenery. Her realistic but impressionistic paintings look amazin...
Linen, Oil
$3,950
H 27.5 in W 19.5 in
19th century English Portrait of a Young boy in a Cavalier costume
Located in Woodbury, CT
This elegant English 19th-century portrait of a young boy dressed in a Cavalier costume, painted circa 1860, is a striking example of Victorian portraiture that seamlessly combines h...
Canvas, Oil
$10,730
H 39.38 in W 34.26 in D 2.76 in
Portrait of a Lady in a White Silk Dress with Blue Ribbon Bows c.1745–1755
By Henry Pickering
Located in London, GB
In this captivating mid 18th century portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, a young English lady is presented in a luminous white satin gown trimmed with intricate lace and blue ribb...
Canvas, Oil
$4,234
H 15.75 in W 15.75 in D 1.38 in
Yellow mood- 21st Century Contemporary portrait Painting
By Tania Rivilis
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Tania Rivilis Yellow mood 40 x 40 cm framed (included in price) 43,5 x 43,5 cm Oilpaint on canvas Tania Rivilis (b. 1986) 2022 winner of the 'William Locke Price' ( £ 30.000 ) fr...
Oil, Canvas
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 ...
Canvas, Oil