Chairman’s Report Autumn 2018
Abbot Hall.
After a partial rehang was completed in the Romney Room at Abbot Hall, the Society was invited to discuss closer cooperation with Abbot Hall. A first, very fruitful meeting was held where the Society spoke of our need to attract more people to our lecture series. It was agreed that we should design a template for a poster for each lecture, preferably with an illustration on it. Abbot Hall will try to find wall space in the cafe for each poster, one at a time. In addition they would try to make their 200 volunteer invigilators aware of our programme. They are considering putting our programme on their website.
Transactions
Volume 22 was published in spring of this year. Researched and written by Alex Kidson (edited by Dr David Cross), this special edition of ‘Transactions’ seeks to bring order and light to Romney’s letters and has been hailed by members and scholars alike as an important contribution to better understanding Romney’s work and motivation.
Crooklands Hotel
We are continuing with the Crooklands Hotel as the venue for our lectures. However, when the Abbot Hall revamp is completed in approximately three years’ time, it has been agreed that we should consider relocating some of the lectures to Abbot Hall. In association with the Abbot Hall lecture facility there will be a library, and the Society will place its own Romney library there so that members and visitors can have access to it.
The question of our stocks of ‘Transactions’ was also discussed with Abbot Hall offering to look at the possibility of selling some in their shop.
The possibility of our members contributing to information about Romney and the portraits currently on display in the Romney Room was raised, and the Society agreed to come forward with worked-up ideas.
It was further agreed that we would seek to maintain close liaison with Abbot Hall, and Kerri Offord, Head of Curatorial, has agreed to join our committee.
The question of our stocks of ‘Transactions’ was also discussed with Abbot Hall offering to look at the possibility of selling some in their shop.
The possibility of our members contributing to information about Romney and the portraits currently on display in the Romney Room was raised, and the Society agreed to come forward with worked-up ideas.
It was further agreed that we would seek to maintain close liaison with Abbot Hall, and Kerri Offord, Head of Curatorial, has agreed to join our committee.
The 2018-19 Lecture programme
Following our very enjoyable strawberry tea at Bela House, and with the approach of autumn, our thoughts turn once again to the lecture programme. Prudence Bliss, yet again, has produced a very strong series of lectures for 2018-19 which are set out on the final page of this newsletter. The booking form is attached and can be printed off if required. I do urge members to complete and return their copy as soon as possible or write to Treasurer with their bookings. We need to maintain and increase the numbers of people attending the lectures if we are to continue offering such high-quality events. All are welcome, not just members.
Romney’s Houses
An Investigation by Martin Orrom
Members will be interested to learn that our Vice-President Martin Orrom has discovered some interesting information about the house in High Cocken, Barrow in Furness, where Romney lived in his youth (1742-55).
In 1909 the house had been bought and restored by the Furness Railway. The company opened a Romney museum in the cottage with colour reproductions of his paintings. They built an annex for teas and toilets. Later a new circular tearoom was built in the grounds.
Using rail and coach, the Railway Company ran excursions to the house and to nearby Furness Abbey, Walney Bridge and Walney Island. The opening of the museum received national publicity. Sadly, the Great War forced the closure of the museum in 1916 and it never reopened.
Below is the advertisement for the Rail and coach tour.
Below is the advertisement for the Rail and coach tour.
From 1755 to 1762 Romney worked in this studio which was situated in Redman’s Yard, Kendal.
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Whilst living in London, Romney’s main studio, (from 1775 to 1796) was situated in Cavendish Square in the building on the right of the illustration below. The house was rebuilt in 1904.
The three illustrations below depict Romney’s House and studio in Hampstead where he lived from 1797 to 1799.
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In 1799 Romney returned to Kendal where he lived in the house below until his death at the age of 67 in 1802.
In 1801, Romney bought Whitestock Hall in Colton, Cumbria (formerly Lancashire) for his family. His son lived there as a landed gentleman and his descendants lived there until 1900.
The Romney Society Lectures 2018-19
1- Friday 5 October 2018
Dr Lucinda Lax, Senior Curator of 18th-century Collections in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, will speak on her recent authentication of a portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie - painted during ‘the '45’.
2- Friday 9 November 2018
Stella Grace Lyons MA, accredited Art History lecturer for The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS), will speak on ‘How the Boydell Gallery made Shakespeare into the new inspiration for English painters’, one of whom was Romney.
3- Friday 7 December 2018
Heather Carroll, tutor in the History of Art at Edinburgh University, will speak on ‘Romney's portrait of Jane, Duchess of Gordon’, the hated Tory rival to the Whig Duchess of Devonshire (see the film ‘Georgiana’ and the book by Amanda Foreman).
4- Friday 11 January 2019
Emily Knight, Assistant Curator of Paintings at the V&A Museum and candidate for an Oxford PhD, will speak on ‘Portraiture as Remembrance in 18th-century Britain’. Special reference will be made to Romney's portrait of Mrs Wilson of Abbot Hall, Kendal, and her daughter Sybill.
5- Friday 8 February 2019
Peter Osborne BA, historian, Artist and Head of School at Blackburn College of Art, is a leading expert on the great wood engraver Thomas Bewick. Peter will speak on ‘Bewick's Beliefs and Vignettes’.
6- Friday 8 March 2019
Dr Pieter van der Merwe, retired Curator of the Royal Maritime Museums, Greenwich, lectured to us on marine painting in 2015 and in 2017 showed us around the recently refurbished Queen's House in Greenwich. He will speak on ‘18th-century Naval Battles and Great Admirals’.
7- Friday 5 April 2019 AGM at 11am followed by:
Rupert Nicol RN, former lecturer at Greenwich Naval College and Events Officer at Garrick's Shakespeare Temple, will speak on ‘The German Romantic Painter Philip Otto Runge, 1777-1810’, from whose family Rupert descends. Runge was a friend of Goethe, of the painter Caspar David Friedrich, and also a pioneer investigator of the colour circle.
Dr Lucinda Lax, Senior Curator of 18th-century Collections in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, will speak on her recent authentication of a portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie - painted during ‘the '45’.
2- Friday 9 November 2018
Stella Grace Lyons MA, accredited Art History lecturer for The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS), will speak on ‘How the Boydell Gallery made Shakespeare into the new inspiration for English painters’, one of whom was Romney.
3- Friday 7 December 2018
Heather Carroll, tutor in the History of Art at Edinburgh University, will speak on ‘Romney's portrait of Jane, Duchess of Gordon’, the hated Tory rival to the Whig Duchess of Devonshire (see the film ‘Georgiana’ and the book by Amanda Foreman).
4- Friday 11 January 2019
Emily Knight, Assistant Curator of Paintings at the V&A Museum and candidate for an Oxford PhD, will speak on ‘Portraiture as Remembrance in 18th-century Britain’. Special reference will be made to Romney's portrait of Mrs Wilson of Abbot Hall, Kendal, and her daughter Sybill.
5- Friday 8 February 2019
Peter Osborne BA, historian, Artist and Head of School at Blackburn College of Art, is a leading expert on the great wood engraver Thomas Bewick. Peter will speak on ‘Bewick's Beliefs and Vignettes’.
6- Friday 8 March 2019
Dr Pieter van der Merwe, retired Curator of the Royal Maritime Museums, Greenwich, lectured to us on marine painting in 2015 and in 2017 showed us around the recently refurbished Queen's House in Greenwich. He will speak on ‘18th-century Naval Battles and Great Admirals’.
7- Friday 5 April 2019 AGM at 11am followed by:
Rupert Nicol RN, former lecturer at Greenwich Naval College and Events Officer at Garrick's Shakespeare Temple, will speak on ‘The German Romantic Painter Philip Otto Runge, 1777-1810’, from whose family Rupert descends. Runge was a friend of Goethe, of the painter Caspar David Friedrich, and also a pioneer investigator of the colour circle.
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