Charlotte, Mrs Thomas Raikes

Charlotte, Mrs. Thomas Raikes from 1787 depicts the wife of a London merchant, reflecting the broad social range of Romney's clientele that extended beyond the aristocracy to the prosperous mercantile class. Romney's affordable fees compared to Reynolds attracted a wider range of sitters. Romney's oil handling was distinguished by fluid, rapidly applied strokes and an instinctive sense of elegant silhouette, producing portraits of apparent effortlessness that concealed careful preparatory...

The sitter is presented with quiet dignity, Romney's warm palette and confident brushwork creating a portrait of understated elegance appropriate to the sitter's social position.