George Romney
- Overview
- Extended Catalogue Entry
© National Portrait Gallery, London
George Romney
by Mary Barret
watercolour on ivory, circa 1798
2 7/8 in. x 2 1/4 in. (73 mm x 57 mm) oval
Given by Ernest E. Leggatt, 1920
Primary Collection
NPG 1881
Sitterback to top
- George Romney (1734-1802), Portrait painter. Sitter in 5 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 173 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Ingamells, John, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, 2004, p. 410
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 531
- Walker, Richard, Miniatures: 300 Years of the English Miniature, 1998, p. 71 Read entry
Portrait painting in England reached a high point during the last half of the century. George Romney being the runner-up after Gainsborough and Reynolds and followed by Thomas Lawrence and John Hoppner. Romney was a fashionable portrait painter, his work, to modern taste, spoilt perhaps by a tendency to prettiness. He believed one of his best works to be the chalk drawing of the poet William Cowper (1731-1800) of 1792, also in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG 1423), as is Romney's self-portrait of 1782, 'absorbed in studious meditation' (NPG 959). This miniature by Mary Barret shows Romney towards the end of his life, as he lapsed into madness.
Events of 1798back to top
Current affairs
To meet war costs, William Pitt introduces a Finance Bill which levies income tax for the first time.Art and science
William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge publish Lyrical Ballads; a key publication for the romantic movement in poetry. Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner opens the volume.Publisher and printseller Rudolph Ackermann establishes his popular 'Repository of the Arts' shop, gallery, library and social centre on the Strand.
International
Uprising of the United Irishmen: a republican rebellion which attempted to achieve Ireland's total independence by force with the aid of a French invasion. It was only narrowly defeated.Battle of the Nile. Napoleon's visionary Egyptian campaign offers British first major victory as Nelson destroys the French fleet.
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.