Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England at Yale Center for British Art

The Yale Center for British Art, in collaboration with the Yale University Art Gallery, presents Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England, a compelling exhibition celebrating the museum’s reopening and showcasing the remarkable work of British portraitist George Romney (1734–1802).

Renowned in his day for capturing the likenesses of fashionable Londoners, Romney was considered a leading figure of Georgian portraiture, rivaled only by contemporaries Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds. While his ambitions as a history painter were never fully realized, Romney’s expressive drawings and mastery of form, line, and light speak volumes about his creative depth and vision.

The exhibition explores Romney’s dual talents through a diverse presentation of portraits, preparatory sketches, and musical instruments from the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments—reflecting his lesser-known interests in music and craftsmanship. Together, these works shed light on Romney’s artistic legacy and the cultural contrasts of eighteenth-century England, resonating with admirers from William Blake to contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley.

Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England is on view from Friday, March 28 through Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut.

Admission is free. For more information, visit britishart.yale.edu.