Mr and Mrs William Lindow
- Artist: George Romney
- Date: 1772
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 1391 x 1143 mm
- Museum: Tate Britain
- Collection record: Tate Britain website
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About this artwork
This is the “Mr and Mrs William Lindow” by George Romney. The work dates to 1772, an oil on canvas that shows the newlywed couple in a simple interior. William sits in a chair, head turned toward the viewer, his right hand resting on his chin. Abigail stands to his left, holding a fold of her skirt in one hand while her other hand rests on the chair, the two forearms brushing—Romney’s way of signalling conversation and intimacy. The background is an open window that lets in a faint seascape, hinting at the source of the Lindow family’s wealth.
Romney called this portrait a “Conversation,” a term he used for double portraits that capture a quiet exchange. The setting is deliberately domestic, underscoring the couple’s domesticity, but the subtle sea view recalls William’s role as a transatlantic merchant based in Lancaster. He was involved in the slave trade and owned sugar plantations in St. Vincent and Grenada, and his marriage to Abigail formalised a partnership in her father’s shipping business.
The painting’s composition—clean lines, restrained palette, and the gentle contact of hands—showcases Romney’s skill in blending naturalism with a hint of classical form. It was commissioned shortly after the Lindow marriage and has survived into the modern era as a fine example of 18th‑century portraiture that balances private intimacy with a subtle reminder of the period’s broader economic currents.
See it in person
Mr and Mrs William Lindow is in the collection of Tate Britain on Millbank, 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.
