After Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough, Romney is generally acknowledged as the third most important late eighteenth-century English portraitist. The very worldliness and social stature of his subjects confirm this assertion. Romney was a successful painter of the elite and his services were in constant demand. Today his canvases are zealously held by the original commissioning families, major public institutions, and exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary of his birth. Two other shows, one focusing on his painting of children, the other on drawings for portraits, have also been prepared to celebrate this occasion--both in England. The Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery is therefore particularly pleased to present this major study of the beast and most important piece s by Romney in Canada.

--from the foreword by Bradley G. Blain, Director, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery