ROMNEY UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME REYNOLDS Containing sixteen examples of the master’s work VELASQUEZ Containing sixteen illustrations in colour A. AND C. BLACK, SOHO SQUARE, LONDON, W. [Illustration: LADY HAMILTON WITH A GOAT Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq.] ROMNEY BY RANDALL DAVIES CONTAINING SIXTEEN EXAMPLES IN COLOUR OF THE MASTER’S WORK LONDON ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK 1914 PRINTED AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS LONDON PREFACE The most obvious gap in the ranks of the portraits by British painters in our National Collections is caused by the absence of any work of really first-rate importance by George Romney. _The Parsons Daughter_, in the National Gallery, and the _Mrs. Robinson_, at Hertford House, are of the finest quality; but they are only heads. The large portrait of _Mrs. Mark Currie_ is charming, but by no means so fine. In the _Louisa, Countess of Mansfield_, we are nearer to the very best; but that is only a temporary loan, and until the public are in possession of one or two of his superb whole-length portraits, such as Earl Crewe’s _Lady Milnes_, the Marquis of Lansdowne’s _Lord Henry Petty_, or the _Lady Bell Hamilton_, they will hardly be able to judge the work of Romney as fairly as that of his more fortunate contemporaries. In placing him in the first rank of English painters, however, the present generation are only doing him as much honour as he deserves, after a century of neglect; and there seems to be no fear of his fame diminishing again or his popularity abating. R. D. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Lady Hamilton with a Goat _Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq._ _Frontispiece_ _Facing p._ 2. The Parson’s Daughter _National Gallery_ 4 3. Thomas John Clavering, afterwards eighth Baronet, and his sister, Catherine Mary _Col. C. W. Napier Clavering_ 8 4. Maria Margaret Clavering, afterwards Lady Napier ” ” ” 12 5. Colonel Thomas Thornton ” ” ” 16 6. Miss Ramus _Viscount Hambleden_ 20 7. Mrs. Robinson as “Perdita” _Wallace Collection_ 22 8. William Pitt, the Younger _National Gallery_ 26 9. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. William Lindow (1770) ” ” 28