Head of a Woman 

George Romney captured this unnamed ‘Head of a Woman’ in oil paint, a medium favored for its ability to render delicate light and shadow. Romney was working in the late 18th century, a time when the aesthetic values and social hierarchies of British society were often reflected in portraiture. Consider the gaze of the woman in this painting, she’s slightly averted, suggesting modesty, but also perhaps introspection. There’s a vulnerability in the soft rendering of her features. Does she represent an individual, or an ideal of womanhood prevalent during Romney’s time? Perhaps this painting challenges us to consider the complex roles women occupied. Romney's portraits often navigated between idealization and realism. He provides us with a glimpse into the personal and emotional lives of women in his era, while also underscoring the constraints and expectations placed upon them.