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.
English Georgian Man in Red Coat Portrait
By George Romney
Located in Queens, NY
English Georgian gilt framed oil painting portrait of man in red coat with vest (att: Geo. Romney)
Paint
$2,450
H 0.75 in W 7.75 in D 8.5 in
English Regency Period Original Watercolor Fruitwood Frame Portrait of Young Man
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An original British School Regency Period watercolor portrait, mounted in a Georgian Period fruitwood frame – Dated 1834. These watercolors were largely painted by young girls fro...
Fruitwood, Paper
Georgian Original Framed Silhouette Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A stunning and very finely produced antique Georgian original framed silhouette portrait of a gentleman dating from the 18th century. The portrait mounted in a thick carved wooden fr...
Glass, Hardwood
$3,800
H 2.5 in W 2.1 in D 0.25 in
Antique Miniature Young Man Military Officer Portrait Painting John Smart, 1780
Located in Portland, OR
A fine antique miniature portrait painting, John Smart (1741-1811). The painting circa 1780. A very handsome portrait miniature of a young military officer...
Brass
$8,306Sale Price|59% Off
H 56.7 in W 49.61 in D 3.94 in
Large Georgian oil on canvas Portrait of a Gentleman
Located in Folkestone, GB
The grand Georgain oil on canvas portrait stands nearly five feet tall and depicts a handsome middle aged gentleman wearing a wig, a smart dress coat with long waistcoat and white si...
Paint
$4,497Sale Price|40% Off
H 39 in W 34 in D 4 in
English Titled 18th c Lady with Coat of Arms Portrait Oil Painting Gilt Frame
Located in Savannah, GA
18th century English noblewoman in a gold gilt ornate period frame. Lovely detail and color, coat of arms in corner. Unsigned. Without the frame the painting itself measures 29 inche...
Giltwood, Canvas
$25,000
H 26 in W 22 in D 2 in
Pair of English Nobel Figural Man & Woman Oval Oil on Canvas Portraits, C 1790
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of English Nobel figural oil on canvas oval portraits of male posing with hunting canine companions and female sitting in garden posing with flowers and lamb. Paintings have bee...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Giltwood
Masonic Sheepskin Man Portrait
Located in London, GB
Masonic Sheepskin Man Portrait We are proud to offer a highly unusual subject matter oil on canvas painting by the recently deceased Cornish artist James Scrase. A fine example from a member of the Royal Society of National Portraits members, trained under the guidance of Italian artist Annigoni in the early 1970s. James produced some wonderful piece of art in many different mediums. The unusual thing about this portrait is not only the fact that the subject sits proud in a sheepskin coat as his best attire, but also the fact that the artist name is hidden in the note painted...
Canvas
Georgian Memorial or Mourning Portrait, Thomas Hudson, 1765
By Thomas Hudson
Located in Kinderhook, NY
Exceptional English George III period neoclassical memorial or mourning portrait of a gentleman attributed to famed London portraitist Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) depicting 'Edward Lon...
Canvas, Paint
Group Of Four Georgian Framed Family Portrait Paintings
Located in Essex, MA
All members of the same family set in giltwood frames.
Canvas, Giltwood
$2,850 / set
H 32.5 in W 30 in D 1.5 in
Pair of Georgian English Portrait Paintings by Rev. Ben Hudson Dated 1828 & 1829
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A pair of Georgian English 19th century portraits of a gentleman and a woman, oil on canvas, original frame and stretcher, crackle paint (stable condition) typical of older paintings...
Paint
"Man in Black and White, " Remarkable Portrait of Young Man by Cohen
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Bold and intense, this portrait -- or perhaps self-portrait -- of a young man with pale skin, dark, flowing hair and a direct stare was painted by T. Cohen in the first decades of th...
Paint
Portrait of a Man in Giltwood Frame
Located in Buchanan, MI
Artist unknown (American, 20th century) portrait of a man. Oil on canvas, signed lower left and dated 1943. Measures: 30" x 25" frame: 37.75" x 32.75". Excellent condition
Giltwood