George Romney

By descent to Francis Thomas de Grey Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper, 8th Baron Lucas of Crudwell (1834-1905), Wrest Park, Ampthill, Bedfordshire;
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.

H.P. Horne, An Illustrated Catalogue of Engraved Portraits and Fancy Subjects Painted by Thomas Gainsborough, R.A., and by George Romney, London 1891, p. 42;
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.

An old glue relining is firm and stable. There is a dull and yellowed old varnish. The paint surface is a bit pressed in the relining, however the detail is very well retained and the image and coloration are strong. There is a horizontal crease in the canvas that runs from right to left edge just below the center of the painting, and two vertical creases. One of the vertical creases runs from top edge at upper left down through the column and ends at the central horizontal crease; the other runs from upper right edge down through the sky and ends at the central horizontal crease at right side. These creases are slightly visible to the naked eye, but are not terribly distracting overall. Nothing can be seen with the UV light due to the thick old varnish. This painting would benefit from a light cleaning and sensitive restoration which should improve the overall appearance. Offered in an elaborately carved and gilt wood frame with some minor nicks.
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.

The sitter, a politician and writer, was the eldest son of Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke (1690-1764) and Margaret Lygon (circa 1695-1761), daughter of Charles Cocks, MP for Worcester.  He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he received the degree of LLD in 1749.  He married Lady Jemima Campbell (1722-1797) in 1740, only daughter of John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane, who became Marchioness Grey following the death of her maternal grandfather.  They had two daughters: Amabel, who married Alexander Viscount Polwarth, eldest son of the last Earl of Marchmont, and Mary Jemima Robinson, who married the 2nd Baron Grantham.

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.