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Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts

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George Romney

Portrait of the Honorable Francis North, 4th Earl of Guilford

1780

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George Romney was one of the most popular portrait painters in late eighteenth-century London, known for his flattering likenesses of British nobility and society figures. In this portrait of Francis North, a young aristocratic army officer at that time, Romney endows his figure with a commanding presence that conveys a sense of gravitas. North stands at ease, hat in hand, before a smoldering background that suggests a battlefield with cannon fire in the distance. While North’s figure is rendered in relatively loose strokes of paint, the face is given the greatest detail, attaining dimension through ruddy tones and the layering of delicate glazes. His face and red coat are further emphasized in contrast to the less defined background; the uniform also underscores North’s stature in the British army, to which he had recently been promoted captain. Romney’s ability to individuate his sitters, while also stressing their rank, made him especially in demand among the aristocracy, who commissioned such portraits to promote an idealizing image of their social and political status. [Permanent collection label, 2016]

  • Artist George Romney (British, 1734–1802)
  • Title Portrait of the Honorable Francis North, 4th Earl of Guilford
  • Date 1780
  • Medium Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions unframed | 50 1/2 x 40 3/8 in.
  • Credit line University purchase, Parsons Fund, 1916
  • Object number WU 2152

Real / Radical / Psychological: The Collection on Display
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 09/09/2016 - 01/15/2017

Red
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 09/20/2013 - 01/06/2014

Beginnings: The Taste of the Founders
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 01/21/2000 - 03/19/2000

Images of Aristocrats and Republicans
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 06/02/1985 - 08/11/1985

Old Masters
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 05/15/1983 - 08/21/1983

Summer Selections
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 05/24/1979 - 08/31/1979

Charles Parsons: Portrait of a St. Louis Collector
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 12/12/1976 - 01/30/1977

Moments in Portraiture
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (Kansas City, Missouri), 03/16/1966 - 04/13/1966

1916
Kleinberger and Co., New York

This artwork record may be incomplete or need refinement. Our staff actively researches the collection and revises records when new information is available. If you have questions or comments about this record, please contact us.

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