GEORGE ROMNEY | Portrait of a girl, bust length

oil on canvas

Mr. Williamson;
Thence by descent to his daughter, Mrs. Hewitt;
Thence by bequest to her brother-in-law, Major Hewitt;
From whom purchased by Thomas Agnew & Sons, 1902;
With Galerie Sedelmeyer, Paris, by 1902;
By whom sold, Paris, 17 May 1907, lot 150 (as "Portrait of Marchioness of Hertford);
Private Collection, Paris;
With Newhouse Gallery, New York (according to a label on the reverse); 
Private collection, Philadelphia.

‘Illustrated Catalogue of the Eighth Series of 100 Paintings by Old Masters of the Dutch, Flemish, Italian, French, and English Schools, belonging to the Sedelmeyer Gallery,'  Paris 1902, p. 116-7, cat. no. 94, reproduced (as "Portrait of Miss Maria Fagniani, afterwards Marchioness of Hertford").
A. Kidson, 'George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings,' Italy 2015, vol. III, appendix IV, p. 899 (as not by Romney and "Portrait of Miss Maria Fagniani").
G. Paston, 'George Romney,' London 1903, p. 195 (as "Portrait of Marchioness of Hertford, née Maria Fagniani").
H. Ward & W. Roberts, 'Romney: A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Raisonné of his Works,' 1904, vol. II, p. 51, no. 2 (as "Portrait of Mlle. Maria Emily Fagniani").

The canvas has been tightly relined, and appears a little pressed as a result, though it presents a lovely image overall. Some spots of retouches are visible to the naked eye, such as the scattered discolored lines of paint on the white dress. These fluoresce under UV light along with two other concentrated areas of retouches on the child's exposed chest at right. Scattered inlaid paint, possibly to address old craquelure, also fluoresces on the child's chest and face. Her hair, at top center and at bottom right, also has some further strengthening made to the paint. Thin strokes of inpainting to address what appears to be an old horizontal crease or repair above the child's head. The painting can hang in its present sate and is offered in an elaborately carved, giltwood frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Since the publication of his 2015 monograph on George Romney, Alex Kidson has fully endorsed the attribution of this painting to the artist on the basis of high-resolution photographs.¹  Although an attribution has been fully secured, the identity of the sitter, once thought to be Maria Emilia Fagniani, a British noblewoman of Italian descent, remains elusive. We are grateful to Alex Kidson for endorsing the attribution and for his assistance with the cataloguing of the present lot.

1. See A. Kidson, 'George Romney: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings,' Italy 2015, vol. III, appendix IV, p. 899 (as not by Romney and "Portrait of Maria Emily Fagniani").