The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-25
ROMNEY'S PAINTINGS.

Should the mysterious old painting
which has come under the hammer this
week prove 10 be one of Romn;.y's. the
find viii occasion more qualification tina
surprise. Hidden about the world. there
must stiH he a number of unidentified
works of the Dalton carpenters son.
From the walls of what is now the Con-
stitUtioral club at Hampstead many an
embryo mysteriously disappeared. The
man in Cavendish Square" as Reynolds
ungraciously used to speak of his great
rival, made the present premises OF the
Hampstead club his home when break
ing health and weakening powers led to
his removal from his fashionable studio.
There he found his pictures overflow the
house. He turned the stables into an
arcade and lined the damn walls with
works which rotted as they hung, or were
stolen by interruptions admirers. one of
his friends at the time wrote il his dis
tress at seeing so noble a collection i'll a
state so confused, so mangled.
1t would be Interesting to know the
market value today Of Romneys portrait
Oh Caroliue. Niscountess Clifden. and her
sister, Lady Elizabeth Spencer. 1t was
sold to a dealer at Wills seven years
ago. for. 1890 guineas. For the painting
of it Romney received no more than a
hundred guineas. il he had 50 much. The
highest fee he ever received was 12o gum
cas- for the three-quarter length. He
worked daily. hung mp on a scaffo'd above
the heads of the clergy officiating at serv-
ice in the Church of San Pietro in Mon
torio. copying Raphael "Transdgura-
tioa" When he had finished the Duke
Of Richmond offered him 4 beggarly hun
bred suineas for the work. lie refused.
and kept it until his death. after which
it sold for six guireas. Few painters
works have seen mere surprising vicissi-
tudes than Romneys. He divided the
sove- eighty of london with Reynolds.
yet upon his decease there came such
slump in his works that perfect portraits
fetched only thirty shiliings. which. Wen
the tide turned. changed hands with a
profit Of small fortunes 10 the original
purchasers.
Lady Hamilton. as nonoe of Us forgets
owes the immortality of her loveliness 10
Romney. He was forty-eight when he
first met her She was at the time but
nineteen years Of age. but was alreauy
the mother OF two children. and living
under the protection of Charles Greville.
as she continued 20 Go until the latter
transferred her to MS uncle. who IN time
made her his wife the Lady Hamilton.
who became the mother Of Nelson's saa.
During The years he knew her Eliza
beth Hart. as she then was w;rs To ne
painter his divine lady" ard there seems
were purely platoric. Never queen had
more devoted slave. He refase,- commits
sio~s. ruthlessly cut down the number o.
his sitters 10 devote mis- dags 10 paint
ing her II al. she figured in 10 fewer
than two dezen magnificent portraits by
Romney And all This time there lived at
Dalton. Ms. Romncy. The poor u.let-
tered faithful soul whom n had mar
Iied when he was an apprentice bow. ard
she "a domestic servant. helping him on
his hard WAY with occasional haif-ztin-
cas. She never saw London
II Is not surprising that the identity OF
sane Of tbs old mast - goes astray. Let
the signature be- ohscu-e3 ard often
enough there Is apparent the leasf pess.-
bic relation between the picture and tide.
A case IN point j. that one e. Ramney s..
which he painted uron w.. To Cowper
10 Illustrate a passage in The TASK. ~
has answered 20 q dozen Descriptions.
Lady Hamilton aS 0dria~e. Kate
and Twas when the seas we've Roar
ing" among them Who would imagine
hat painting showing fouv pe-s ns-a
man and three ladies representir a.
Engiishnlan and his three wivese such
a none exists. Cepeley. father OF he
future Lord I-yudhurst, WAS commission +
edsly a wealthy Bristol meschau, 20 paint 4
himself ana w.fe But I want 10 have
my deceased wife intro 5uced as well. he
said Tho o-tisr was tuld5led. but so-n
~fter the patron. haI in mourning. haif
in weddins spiendo-. hurried into the 4
studio. Il have had the misfortune 10 .
lose my seconu Vie. 3 wish u have IL .
cluaed IN the portrait the lsdy Who now 4
takes The head Of my table The three (.
wives are in the picture.-st. James Ga /
zstte