George Romney.

Last evening in Sanders Theatre Mr. Humphrey Ward lectured on Romney, who with Sir Joshua Reynolds and Gainsborough formed the great trio of English artists in the eighteenth century. The substance of the lecture, the last of Mr. Ward's extremely interesting and instructive series, was as follows:

George Romney has been most unfortunate in his biographers. Among his acquaintances there were but two who possessed any literary talent. They were Cumberland and Hayley and each wrote a dry and inaccurate biography of him. The best account of his life is that written by his son. Romney never belonged to the Royal Academy.

George Romney was born September 15, 1734, at Beckside, near Furness, in Lancashire. His father, who came of an old North Country stock, was a cabinet maker. When eleven years old, Romney was taken from school and put to work in his father's shop. Here, in the excellence of his carvings, he showed his marked artistic ability. One day he found a book on art by Leonardo da Vinci. From that moment he gave his father no rest until he was apprenticed to an itinerant artist named Steele, with whom he stayed two years. He then moved to Kendal, where, unfortunately for her sake as well his own, he married Mary Abbott. At Kendal he lived until 1762, painting heads for three guineas apiece, and fancy sketches, which he raffled in the town hall.

At the age of twenty-eight Romney moved to London and began the long separation from his wife and children which is the greatest blot on his character. The year after he came to London he sent a picture of General Wolfe to the Society of Arts. It was announced that he had received the second prize. At the suggestion of Sir Joshua Reynolds the decision was revoked and the prize awarded to Mortimer. This was the cause of Romney's dislike for Sir Joshua.

In March, 1773, Romney set out for Italy and spent two years in studying the galleries of Rome and Venice. On his return to London Romney rented a fine house in Cavendish Square. The Duke of Richmond came to sit for his portrait. The picture was a brilliant success and in twenty years Romney was the acknowleged rival of Sir Joshua Reynolds. In 1782 his friend Charles Greville brought Emma Hart, afterwards Lady Hamilton, to sit for her portrait. Of this famous woman Romney painted not less than twenty-three portraits in various poses. His picture of her as a spinner is his masterpiece. It is a miracle of simplicity, soft color, and bewitching grace.

The last years of Romney's life were very sad. His health was broken, his intellect impaired, his powers gone. In 1798 he returned to his faithful and affectionate wife. She nursed him with tender care until he died in 1802. His remorse for deserting her was great and has been touchingly treated by Tennyson in his poem, "Remorse of Romney."