George Romney

Painted for the sitter;
Louis Perrot, Geneva;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 12 June 1931, lot 70;
Where acquired by Vicars;
With M. Knoedler & Co., New York;
Possibly with Newhouse Galleries, New York;
Anonymous sale ("Property of an Estate"), New York, Sotheby's, 28 January 1999, lot 457.

National Gallery Trafalgar Square Catalogue, London 1929, p. 314;
A. Kidson, George Romney: A complete catalogue of his work, New Haven 2015, vol. II, p. 345, cat. no. 749a. 

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work is in beautiful condition. The canvas has an old English lining. The paint layer has been more recently cleaned and varnished. Retouches are almost all confined to the top edge, where the paint layer is quite uneven and there have been some losses along the extreme top edge. This restoration could be improved. There are a few isolated spots of retouching in the hair, but there are none in the face, neck or dress. The background shows no retouching, and the spandrels in the lower left and lower right are also very well preserved, with only a few retouches on the lower right edge.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Romney painted two versions of this portrait in 1779-1780. The first, now in the collection of the Tate, London, was commissioned as a friendship portrait for Miss Caroline Damer and exchanged by Lady Emilia with one of Miss Damer painted by Romney during the same period.¹  According to Romney’s account books, the portrait of Lady Emilia was sent off to Miss Damer in September 1779.  The following year, sittings for the present portrait, painted for Lady Emilia herself, are recorded.

Lady Emilia Kerr was the daughter of William, 4^th Earl of Ancram (who succeeded as 4^th Marquis of Lothian in 1767) and Lady Caroline, née Darcy, daughter of Robert, 3^rd Earl of Holdernesse.  She married John McLeod in 1783.  

1.  See A. Kidson, under Literature, cat. no. 337.