George Romney
- Artist: George Romney
- Date: 1784
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 49 1/2 in. x 39 in. (1257 mm x 991 mm)
- Portrays: George Romney
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is George Romney’s unfinished self‑portrait, painted in 1784. The canvas shows him at fifty, standing with crossed arms and a steady gaze that feels both guarded and attentive. Warm oils create subtle flesh tones while the background remains uncluttered, letting his face dominate. He had been working from Eartham, the home of his friend the poet William Hayley, and gave this work to Hayley who praised its “pensive vivacity.” The painting captures a moment of solitary thought amid a bustling London career.
See it in person
George Romney is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
