A black ink and wash drawing of a lone female figure wearing a gown leaning against a column. She looks off into the distance. The background is gestural and abstract.

George Romney

Study for the Portrait of Frances Woodley (Mrs. Henry Bankes)

Maker

George Romney (English, 1734-1802)

Title

Study for the Portrait of Frances Woodley (Mrs. Henry Bankes)

Year

ca. 1780

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

wash technique, sepia

Dimensions

48.3 x 28.9 cm (19 x 11 3/8 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Carroll Carstairs

Object Number

39.034

Type

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer
Four Hundred Years of Drawing from the RISD Museum
Mar 12, 2022 – Sep 04, 2022

Label copy

Striking for its free and fluid handling, this drawing is a study for a full-length painted portrait. A few swift brushstrokes describe the elongated body of the sitter, clad in a loose garment and leaning against a pedestal, recalling the pose of a classical statue. The ethereal figure contrasts sharply with the trees in the background, evoked by stain-like areas of darker ink. George Romney’s process involved executing very loose compositional sketches in brush and wash, resolving finer details directly on the canvas.

The Age of Canova
Nov 06, 1957 – Dec 15, 1957
European and American Watercolors and Drawings from the Permanent Collection
Feb 26, 1947 – Mar 10, 1947

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

George Romney (English, 1734-1802)
Study for the Portrait of Frances Woodley (Mrs. Henry Bankes), ca. 1780
Black ink and brush and wash on laid paper
48.3 x 28.9 cm (19 x 11 3/8 inches)
Gift of Carroll Carstairs 39.034

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