Mrs. Bryan Cooke

George Romney prints capture the grace of Georgian England. Romney was the most fashionable portrait painter of his day, painting society figures in London and, above all, his muse Emma Hamilton. This collection gathers art prints of his elegant portraits of women and children, family groups, literary figures and his many lively studies of Emma, along with classical and Shakespearean subjects and expressive drawings.

About George Romney

George Romney was born on 26 December 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire (now Cumbria), the third son of a cabinet maker. He left school at 11 to work in his father's business, where he showed a gift for drawing and woodwork, even making violins. In 1755 he began an apprenticeship in Kendal with the portrait painter Christopher Steele, and in 1756 he married Mary Abbot.

In 1762 Romney left his family in Kendal to seek his fortune in London, though he kept supporting them. He was never a member of the Royal Academy and had a long dislike of Sir Joshua Reynolds. From 1773 to 1775 he studied in Italy, spending 18 months in Rome, and on his return he took a studio in Cavendish Square, where he worked for over twenty years.

In 1782 he met Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, who became his muse and sat for him many times. His friend the writer William Hayley encouraged his literary and classical subjects. In 1797 he moved to Hampstead, and in 1799, his health broken, he returned to his wife in Kendal after almost forty years apart. She nursed him until his death in Kendal on 15 November 1802.

Style and Subjects

Romney's portraits are elegant and fresh, with simple poses, flowing drapery and clear, glowing color. Influenced by classical sculpture and the art he studied in Rome, he often gave his sitters a calm, statuesque grace, with soft landscape backgrounds.

Emma Hamilton appears in dozens of his pictures, cast as figures from myth and literature. He also painted children and family groups, writers and statesmen, and made many energetic drawings for history paintings based on Shakespeare, Milton and the Bible.

Famous Works

• The Gower Family: The Children of Granville, 2nd Earl Gower (c. 1776), Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal. Five children dancing and making music in a classical frieze.
• Lady Elizabeth Stanley, Countess of Derby (1778), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A graceful society portrait.
• Portrait of Mrs. Andrew Reid (1780), Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth. An elegant portrait in soft color.
• William Pitt the Younger (1783), Tate, London. A portrait of the young prime minister.
• Emma Hamilton as a Bacchante (1785), National Portrait Gallery, London. His muse in a famous mythological guise.
• Lady Lemon (1786), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A fine example of his mature portraits.
• The Infant Shakespeare Attended by Nature and the Passions (1791). A literary subject painted for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery.

Decorating with Romney Prints

Romney's portraits bring classic elegance to a dining room, living room or entrance hall. Their soft pinks, creams and gentle landscape greens suit traditional, Georgian-style or country-house interiors, especially in gilt or dark wood frames.

His portraits of children and family groups work well in a bedroom or upstairs landing, while his quick ink drawings and classical studies make an interesting set for a study or library.

FAQ

What art movement was George Romney part of?

Romney was an English portrait painter of the Georgian era, working in the classical and Rococo-influenced manner of 18th-century British portraiture, alongside Reynolds and Gainsborough.

What is George Romney's most famous painting?

His portraits of Emma Hamilton, his muse, are his best-known works, such as Emma Hamilton as a Bacchante (1785) in the National Portrait Gallery, London. The Gower Family (c. 1776) is another favorite.

Where can I see Romney's original paintings?

Abbot Hall Art Gallery in Kendal holds an important group, including The Gower Family. Others are at the National Portrait Gallery and Tate in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Kimbell Art Museum.

How can you recognize a George Romney portrait?

Look for graceful, simple poses, smooth faces, flowing drapery and soft landscape backgrounds, with a calm, classical feeling.

Who was Emma Hamilton to Romney?

Emma Hart, later Lady Hamilton, met Romney in 1782 and became his muse. He painted her many times, often as characters from myth and literature. She later became famous as the mistress of Lord Nelson.

Related Artists

• Sir Joshua Reynolds — his great rival among London portrait painters
• Thomas Gainsborough — fellow leading portraitist of Georgian England
• Joseph Wright of Derby — contemporary English portrait and subject painter
• John Hoppner — younger London society portraitist