Expert: David Freeman - 2/8/2003

Question
Any help or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I am a collector. Basically, I buy what I like without concern for so called "market value". Portrait miniatures, in particular. My question is: I recently purchased a beautiful victorian miniature, with silver oval pendant type setting, 3 1/4" X 2" on ivory, signed "Romney". How would I go about determining whether or not this was painted by George Romney? Are there any tell-tale signs to look for? Who could you recommend for expert appraisal or advice on this item? Thank you very much, Virginia

Answer
Hello Virginia.

Firstly, do be cautious, I would have to say that I am unaware of any portrait miniatures that were painted by Romney.
He was primarily and classically a portraitist working in the standard formats.
This does not mean that he didn't, only that I personally am unaware.
I  have checked the known 300 auction records for the artist, and all of of a larger size than yours.But, not the catalogue raisonne which would bepretty much fail safe.

This fact, is a strong indicatior at least, to the possibility that the work may be 'after' a known work by Romney rather than by him....
There are lots of miniatures however, after Romney
That means, executed by artists based upon his known works.
Here are a couple for example.


Miss Whitefoorde, after George Romney (1734-1802)
Renira de Tuyll, after George Romney (1734-1802)
Nature after George Romney (1734-1802)
Portrait of a Lady, after George Romney (1734-1802)
Mrs. Robinson as Perdita,  after George Romney (1734-1802)


If I was authenticating this piece for you, and that after all, that is principally my job as a consultant;
(see web site:)
 
http:www.freemanart.ca
or http://www.freemanart.uk.com

I would be cross checking every known work from the catalogue raisonne with your own image first and foremost.

For you and for readers of your question who have no idea of who he was, here is a brief summary of his life.

George Romney
British, 1734 - 1802

George Romney was born in Dalton-on-Furness, Lancashire,England,  on 15 December 1734.
He was the third of the eleven children of John Romney and Anne Simpson.

Leaving school at the age of eleven, he worked for eight years in his father's cabinet making workshop before being apprenticed to a local painter, Christopher Steele, with whom he served for two years, from 1755 to 1757, in Kendal, York, and Lancaster.
He married a Kendal girl, Mary Abbot, on 14 October 1756, and painted at Kendal from 1756 to 1762, principally small full-length portraits.

In 1762 Romney settled in London, leaving his wife and son behind, and henceforward saw them only on his few visits to the north.
He won premiums for his historical paintings from the Society of Arts in 1763 and 1765, and exhibited at the Free Society between 1763 and 1769 and with the Society of Artists from 1770 to 1772.
During a visit to Paris in the autumn of 1764 he was deeply impressed by the classicism of Eustache Le Sueur. His portraits were chiefly influenced by Ramsay.

In 1773 he traveled to Italy with the miniaturist Ozias Humphry, remaining there until 1775, chiefly in Rome.

*******This may or may not be significant************

On his return to London Romney was patronized by the Duke of Richmond, in whose celebrated gallery of casts he had formerly studied and took the grand house in Cavendish Square, with its large painting room, previously occupied by Francis Cotes.
He achieved an instant success and his unremitting application as a society portraitist is amply documented by his sitter books, which survive for the years 1776 to 1795.
He never bothered to exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts, though this was partly due to an antagonism with Reynolds.

With his health affected by over application, he gave up portrait painting at the end of 1795 and retired to Hampstead.
In 1798 he sold the lease of his London house and returned to Kendal, where he died 'insane' on 15 November 1802.


A good book for you is:
GEORGE ROMNEY 1734 -1802
Alex Kidson

If I can assist you further, get in touch via the web site.

Could possibly be a link with Humphrey here.....

Best
David