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George Romney

Figure Studies

c. late 1770s
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, over graphite (recto), and graphite (verso), on cream laid paper
12 × 18.6 cm (4.7 × 7.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This sheet of studies was removed from a sketchbook and shows the influence of ancient Roman sculptural reliefs. The two multi-figured scenes depict some form of ritual or sacrifice, the nature of which has not been convincingly identified. The large female figure on the left is a motif George Romney used numerous times in his society portraits, in which his subject is posed outdoors leaning on a plinth in classical dress. The vibrancy, immediacy, and rapid-fire execution of the drawing suggest that it was made after Romney’s two-year stay in Italy (1773–75).

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