George Romney (1734 – 1802) was an English portrait painter and is considered one of the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures – including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson.
Romney was born at Beckside in Dalton-in-Furness and was sent to board with Mrs Gardner at Dendron school. Indifferent to his studies, he was apprenticed to his father, a cabinet maker where he began to sketch faces and became interested in music. During this apprenticeship he made picture frames and a number of violins, which he played throughout his life.
At the age of 21 he was apprenticed to the portrait painter Christopher Steele in Kendal. In 1756 he married his landlady’s daughter, Mary Abbot in Kendal Parish Church. Their son John was born six months later and their daughter Ann in 1760 (she died in 1763).
In 1757 Romney broke his indentures and set up on his own. He began to paint important people in the town and notable county families. In 1762 he went to London where he stayed until 1799.
In 1764 he travelled to Paris where he studied the works of the old masters and in 1773 he went in Rome where he spent 18 months making studies and sketches of the great art works on view there. He returned to London in 1775, Romney and in 1782 he met Emma Hamilton who became his muse. In 1796 returned to his wife in Kendal where he lived until his death in 1802.
Source: https://www.romney-society.org.uk
