George Romney (painter)

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Portrait of Miss Willoughby, second half of 18th century.

George Romney (December 26, 1734 – November 15, 1802) was a noted English portrait painter.

He was born on Boxing Day 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, and apprenticed to his father as a cabinet-maker. In 1755 he went to Kendal to learn painting from a Cumberland artist by the name of Christopher Steele, and within two years was becoming well-known as a portraitist.

He fell ill during his apprenticeship and was nursed back to health by Mary Abbott, daughter of his landlady.

In 1762, by which time he was married with two children, he went to London, and saw early success with a painting, The Death of General Wolfe which won a prize from the Royal Society of Arts. Romney soon had a thriving portrait business in Long Acre.

Romney was invited to join the newly-formed Royal Academy but refused to resign from another artistic society, violating the Academy's exclusive membership rules.

In 1773 he travelled to Italy with fellow artist Ozias Humphrey to study art in Rome and Parma, returning to London in 1775 to resume business, this time in Cavendish Square (in a house formerly owned by noted portraitist Francis Cotes). In 1782 he met Emma Hamilton (then called Emma Hart) who became his muse. He painted over 60 portraits of her in various poses, sometimes playing the part of historical or mythological figures.[1] He also painted many other contemporaries, including fellow artist Mary Moser. After an absence of almost forty years, he returned to his family in Kendal in the summer of 1799. He was greeted by his loyal, devoted and unquestioning wife.