George Romney
George Romney (born December 15, 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness , Lancashire (now Cumbria ), † November 15, 1802 in Kendal ) was a British painter of Rococo and Classicism .
Life
Romney was the son of the cabinet maker (cabinet maker) John Romney . The painter Peter Romney was his brother. Romney received his first artistic training in his father's workshop in Kendal . At the age of 17 he became a student of Christopher Steele there. At the age of 22 he married in Kendal in 1756 and founded his own studio that same year.
Five years later, Romney went to London without his wife and two daughters . There he was soon known and appreciated. In 1761 Romney went on a study trip through Italy with his colleague Ozias Humphry and stayed in Rome in 1773/75 . After his return in 1775 at the latest, he was regarded as the most respected artist alongside Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough . After his return he settled in London again. From this time he lived in the former house of the artist Francis Cotes .
From 1763 to 1772 Romney was able to show his works on various occasions. His picture The death of General Wolfe was awarded by the Royal Academy of Arts . But the Free Society and the Society of Artists also invited him to exhibitions.
In 1782 Romney met Emma Lyon, who later became Lady Hamilton . His numerous portraits of her are still known today. During this time he also created some commissioned works for the Shakespeare gallery of the art dealer John Boydell . Romney's famous art collection also originated in London. Much of the collection consisted of casts of ancient Rome made for Romney by the sculptor John Flaxman .
In the last years of his life, Romney suffered from depression and neuroses. At 65, Romney stopped painting completely, closed his London household and returned to his family in Kendal as a seriously ill man. George Romney died on November 15, 1802 in Kendal at the age of 68.
literature
- David A. Cross: A Striking Likeness: The Life of George Romney. Ashgate, Aldershot 2000, ISBN 1-8401-4671-0
- Gerhard Charles Rump : George Romney. 1734-1802. On the image form of the middle class in English neo-classicism. 2 vols. Hildesheim, New York: Olms 1974, ISBN 3-487-05106-0
Web links
- Literature by and about George Romney in the catalog of the German National Library
- Works by George Romney at Zeno.org .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Romney, George |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British painter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 15, 1734 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dalton-in-Furness , Lancashire (now Cumbria ) |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 15, 1802 |
| Place of death | Kendal |