- 95
George Romney
Description
- George Romney
- Portrait of Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke
- inscribed lower left: Philip 2nd Earl of Hardwicke
- oil on canvas
Provenance
By inheritance to Nan Ino Cooper, 10th Baroness Lucas of Crudwell and 6th Lady Dingwall;
With Lewis & Simmons, Inc., New York, 1919;
Henry T. Sloane, New York;
By whom sold, New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 24 March 1938, lot 51, to F. Schnittjer for $6,500;
With F. Schnittjer & Son, New York;
From whom acquired in 1938.
Literature
H. Ward and W. Roberts, Romney A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Raisonné of his Works, London and New York 1904, vol. 2, p. 70;
W.T. Whitley, Artists and their Friends in England 1700-1799, London and Boston 1928, vol. 1, pp. 346-47;
D. Alexander, “A Reluctant Communicator: George Romney and the Print Market,” in A. A. Kidson, ed., Those Delightful Regions of Imagination: Essays on George Romney, New Haven and London 2002, p. 285;
A. Kidson, George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of His Paintings, New Haven and London 2015, vol. I, p. 279, cat. no. 602, reproduced.
Condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Hardwicke served as MP for Reigate (1741-1747) and Cambridgeshire (1747-1764). He became Lord Royston when his father was created Earl of Hardwicke in 1754 and took his seat in the House of Lords as the 2nd earl upon his father’s death in 1764. Though he followed family tradition and entered politics, his true interests were of a more intellectual bent and he preferred literary pursuits and the collecting of historical documents. He was elected fellow of the Royal Society in 1741 and fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1744. With his brother, Charles, and other collaborators, Hardwicke wrote The Athenian Letters, first published while they were still students. An engraving of the present portrait served as the frontispiece for a later edition published in 1798. Hardwicke died in 1790 and, in the absence of a male heir, his title went to his nephew Philip Yorke (1757-1834). His seat at Wrest Park, Bedfordshire, and the appendant estates of the dukes of Kent passed to his daughters.
Eight sittings with Romney are recorded between 23 December 1778 and 18 March 1779. The portrait remained in the family until circa 1917, when Wrest Park was sold.