The Hartley Children 1781 - 1783

George Romney painted these three children, probably in the 1770s, in oil on canvas. The portrait embodies ideals of family and childhood innocence that were gaining traction at the time. But we can also understand it through the social institutions that shaped portraiture in 18th-century Britain. Note the trappings of wealth and status - the fine fabrics, fashionable clothing and carefully arranged setting. Commissioning such a portrait was a statement of social standing, reinforcing the family’s place in the hierarchy. Romney was a leading portraitist who depended on the patronage of the British upper classes. The Royal Academy played a key role in promoting artists like Romney and establishing portraiture as a high art form. To fully appreciate this painting, we need to consider the economic and social history of 18th-century Britain. Researching family records, period costumes, and the history of the art market would all shed further light on its meaning. Art always exists within a specific social and institutional context.