GEORGE ROMNEY | Portrait of Dr Beilby Porteous (1731-1808), Bishop of London

Half length, wearing ecclesiastical dress

Painted for the sitter in 1781;
thence by descent in the family of the sitter's wife, Margaret Porteous, to Rev. Beilby Porteous Hodgson (1808-89), Hartburn, Northumberland;
thence by inheritance to his nephew, Oswald Augustus Smith (1826-1902);
J. Munro;
anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 4 May 1901, lot 106, for £52-10s., where bought back by Oswald Smith;
thence by descent

London, Grafton Galleries, Romney, Autumn 1900, no. 91.

J. Romney, Memoirs of the life and works of George Romney, London 1830, p. 180;
A. Cunningham, 'Romney', in The Lives of the Most Eminent British Painters, Sculptors and Architects, London 1832, p. 137;
H. Gamlin, George Romney and his art, London 1894, p. 135;
G. Paston, George Romney, London 1903, p. 203;
T.H. Ward and W. Roberts, Romney. A biographical and critical essay with a catalogue raisonné of his works, London and New York 1904, vol. II, p. 125;
A.B. Chamberlain, George Romney, London 1910, pp. 101 and 119;
‘Shottesbrooke Park, Berks., The Seat of Mr Guy. O. Smith’, in Country Life, vol. XXXIII, no. 839, 1 February 1913, p. 167;
Inventory of the Property of Guy O. Smith at Shottesbrooke Park, 1928, vol. II, 'The Principal Pictures / Dining Room / Bishop Porteus: By Romney 30 x 25';
Inventory of the Property of Rose O. Smith at 25 Chesham Place, 1931, 'Oil Painting; Portrait of Bishop Porteous 32 x 25 by Romney';
J. Ingamells, The English Episcopal Portrait 1559-1835, privately printed 1981, p. 329;
R. Walker, Regency Portraits, London 1985, vol. I, p. 403;
A. Kidson, George Romney. A complete catalogue of his paintings, New Haven and London 2015, vol. II, p. 486, cat. no. 1041, reproduced in colour

The canvas is lined and slightly flattened, the paint surface is dirty and the varnish is discoloured and uneven. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals some fine lines of retouching to reduce the appearance of craquelure in the sitter’s face, wig and the black of his robes. There are also small areas of retouching in the background, upper right, but the painting would appear to be in overall good condition and will respond well to cleaning. Offered in a contemporary carved and giltwood frame
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This portrait and the pendant of his wife appear to have been commissioned by Dr Porteous on the occasion of his 50th birthday. Porteous sat to Romney six times between 28 March and 11 May 1781, with his wife attending three of the sessions. Porteous paid half the fee for the pair in April that year, and the remaining balance on 8 January 1782. Porteous was the youngest but one of nineteen children of Robert Porteous and his wife Sarah Jennings, said to have been related to her famous namesake, Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660-1744). They lived on a tobacco estate in Virginia, but moved back to England in 1720, and Beilby was born in York. First appointed Bishop of Chester in 1776, Porteous was renowned for his sermons, which were described by a contemporary minister, Job Orton, as 'super-excellent'! Porteous became Bishop of London in 1787. He used his position to promote the campaign to end the slave trade, and was a leading figure in the effort to push abolition through both houses of parliament.