Miss Clavering

Miss Clavering from 1782 is a society portrait from the peak of Romney's career when he rivaled Reynolds and Gainsborough as London's most fashionable portraitist. Romney's studio in Cavendish Square attracted a constant stream of aristocratic and society 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 drawing.

The sitter's features are rendered with Romney's characteristic economy and grace, the flowing composition emphasizing elegance of pose and expression over elaborate costume detail.