George Romney

half length, seated, wearing a white dress decorated with gold embroidery

Commissioned directly from the artist;
by descent until sold in a sale at Carlisle, 13th February 1935, (bt. Harry A. Sutch);
with Leger Gallery, London;
Allan and Susan Halley, Aurora, Ontario, by 1976;
Anonymous sale, Waddington's Toronto, 17th November 2003, lot 133;
Historical Portraits, from whom bought by the present owner

The Leger Gallery, London, Exhibition of English Eighteenth Century Conversation Pieces, Portraits and Landscapes, 1975, no. 3;
Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Ontario, Canada, George Romney in Canada, 1986, no. 26

W. Ward and W. Roberts, Romney, 1904, vol.II, p. 83;
J. Beaufin Irving of Bonshaw, The Irvings, Irwines, Irvines or Erinveine, or Any Other Spelling of the Name, 1907, pp. 81-3, 87-90, 188 & p. 260;
Country Life, CLVII, no. 4063, 15 May 1975, pre. supp. p. 53;
A. Halley, George Romney Research Files, 1976-1989;
A.M.T. Maxwell-Irving, The Irvings of Bonshaw, 1968 and reprinted in 1983, pp. 27, 32;
to be included in the forthcoming catalogue raissoné of George Romney by Alex Kidson

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The picture appears to be in very good condition and has been cleaned. ULTRAVIOLET Ultraviolet light reveals scattered retouching, particularly concentrated in the upper left of the canvas and to the fleshtones. FRAME Held in a British Rococo style frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Painted in c. 1783 this portrait depicts the beautiful sitter, the younger daughter of Governor Paulus Aemilius Irving, of Rodgill Tower and Woodhouse Estates (1714-1796) and his wife, Judith Westfield. Governor Irving had served as Major commanding the 15th Regiment of Foot at the battle of the Plains of Abraham with General Wolfe at Quebec in 1759 and for a short time administered the government of the province until the arrival of Carleton in 1766. Her brother, Sir Paulus Aemilius Irving (1751-1828), served with his regiment in the affray at Lexington, at the Battle of Bunker's Hill and in Boston during the blockade. He was present in the skirmish at Trois Rivieres and was with Burgoyne's army at the surrender at Saragota in 1777.

She married her second cousin, John Irving of Bonshaw (1756-1808), Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st West India Regiment (now buried in Bath Abbey). The Irvings in Canada descended from Judith's first cousin Jacobus Aemilius Irving, the forebearer of the Canadian Irvings who settled at Bonshaw, on Yonge Street near Newmarket, Ontario. This branch of the Irvings married in the Jarvis family of Toronto.

This portrait was one of three family portraits by Romney to appear on the market at the Carlisle sale in 1935. The other two were  Romney's portrait of her father (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto) and his portrait of her brother Paulus (untraced). The present portrait is erroneously inscribed on the stretcher as Portrait of Mrs Paul Aemilius Irving, wife of Governor Irving and mother of Sir Paul Aemilius Irving. The confusion with her mother must have stemmed from the fact that they both shared the same first name and surname. Mrs John Irving's daughter Judith Elizabeth married Eaglesfield Smith of Eyam, Derbyshire and Blackwoodhouse, Eaglesfield, Dumfriesshire.