Portrait of Mrs Anne Carwardine and Her Eldest Son, Thomas

This portrait is said to have been the first picture that Romney completed after his return from Italy. In Italy Romney was seduced by Italy's classical heritage, in particular the work of Raphael.

The sitter of this portrait, Mrs. Anne Carwardine (1752-1817) was the wife of Thomas Carwardine, a close friend of Romney. She is shown half-length, seated, wearing a black dress and a white lace shawl with a white bonnet, holding her eldest son Thomas (1772-1822) in her arms. The portrait acknowledges a debt to Raphael's Madonna della Sedia.