An exploration of the 18th-century British portraitist George Romney, timed to celebrate the reopening of the Yale Center for British Art

March 28–September 14, 2025

The Yale University Art Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art are pleased to present Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England, an exhibition featuring works by the British portrait painter George Romney (1734–1802) in celebration of the Center’s reopening. Remembered today for his fashionable likenesses of wealthy patrons, Romney was rivaled in late 18th-century London only by the now better-known artists Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. His aspirations to be a history painter were never realized, but his many drawings serve as a testament to those greater ambitions. These swiftly executed sketches reveal a mastery of form, line, and light, while his proficiency as a musician and early experience building musical instruments distinguish him among his polymath contemporaries. To fully explore the era’s subjects and sensibilities, paintings and drawings by Romney from both museums are shown alongside selections from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments. Unveiling the contrasts in his artistic practice, the exhibition presents a forceful vision—one that has resonated with admirers through the centuries, from William Blake in Romney’s own time to the portraitist Kehinde Wiley today.

Exhibition Credits

Exhibition made possible by the Wolfe Family Exhibition and Publication Fund. Organized by Brooke Krancer, Senior Curatorial Assistant, Yale Center for British Art, with the assistance of Martina Droth, the Paul Mellon Director, Yale Center for British Art, and Laurence Kanter, Chief Curator and the Lionel Goldfrank III Curator of European Art.