George Romney

This portraitback to top

Attribution and date are founded on style and provenance, and the identity seems proved both by the likeness and the self-portrait pose. Kidson has associated the figure sketches on the verso with Romney’s work c.1764-65. [1]

Footnotesback to top

1) A. Kidson, George Romney, exhibition catalogue, Liverpool, NPG, San Marino, 2002, no.9.

Referenceback to top

Ward & Roberts 1904
H. Ward & W. Roberts, Romney, A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Rainsonné of his Works, 1904, II, p 134 (after no.8).

Provenanceback to top

By descent to Miss Elizabeth Romney; her sale, Christie’s, 24 May 1894,¹ within lots 135-137 [which comprised drawings and sketches ‘Studies for Portraits’]; ‘acquired from the Great Grand-daughter [de facto grand-daughter] of Romney’ and sold Sotheby’s, 17 January 1898, lot 177, bought William Ward; M. H. Spielmann by 1904, from whom purchased 1936.

¹ See NPG 959.

Exhibitionsback to top

Genial Company, Nottingham, Edinburgh 1987 (65); George Romney, Liverpool, NPG, 2002 (9).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

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