- 153
George Romney 1734-1802
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description
- George Romney
- Portrait of a lady, said to be Miss Emily Bertie, known as Emily Pott
- oil on canvas, in a carved wood frame
head and shoulders, wearing a cream dress
Provenance
Groult Collection, Paris
Catalogue Note
Emily Bertie was a noted courtesan, and the eventual mistress of Mr Pott. They travelled to India where they both died.
According to William Hickey, Emily Bertie was painted by Reynolds many times and in many characters. The most noted was of her depicted as Thais, the lover of Alexander the Great, which is now at Waddesdon Manor. A three-quarter length portrait of her was painted by Romney in 1781. Romney also started a full length portrait of her in a recumbent position, but this was never finished, and he later gave the head to his pupil, Isaac Pocock.