- Elizabeth, Lady Blunt
Frame: 57 × 47 1/2 in. (144.8 × 120.7 cm)
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The subject of this portrait wears a loose white gown and leans against a Classical bust of a philosopher. The bust, and the scrolled papers beside her, serve as a symbol of her erudition and refinement. Her pale skin, long neck, and sloping shoulders make her the ideal 18th-century beauty.
George Romney was one of the most successful portrait painters of the late 18th century. Perhaps best known for his portraits of Lady Emma Hamilton, Romney also painted many other members of England's social and cultural elite. This three-quarter-length portrait is thought to represent Elizabeth Peers, who married Sir Charles William Blunt in 1764.
ProvenanceLady Blunt; by family descent in the Blunt family of Bretlands, Surrey, U.K.; [Sabin Galleries, London, 1976]; purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson III, 1977; given to MFAH, 1996.
Exhibition History"George Romney (1734-1802)," Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, England, February 8–April 21, 2002; National Portrait Gallery, London, May 30–August 18, 2002; Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, September 15–December 1, 2002.
"Visions of Fancy: George Romney, 18th-Century Paintings and Drawings," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 14, 2012–January 20, 2013.
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