George Romney

With Agnew's, London, before 1936;
Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Daybell, O.B.E.,
by whom given to Viscountess Maxine 'Blossom' Freeman Thomas, later Mrs Frederick George Miles (1901-1984),
hence by descent 

This large-scale and energetic drawing has been dated to circa 1773, either shortly before Romney's journey to Italy in the company of Ozias Humphry, or perhaps even from the early part of his stay in Rome.

In the period running up to this departure to Italy, Romney had established himself as a successful portrait painter in London. When in Rome, where he lived between June 1773 and January 1775, he studied after the antique and the old masters and he was friendly with fellow artists such as Joseph Wright of Derby and Henry Fuseli.

The drawing does not appear to be connected to a surviving painting or commission, but its complex competition and its scale, make it most impressive. 

We are grateful to Alex Kidson for his help when cataloguing this work.