Yale University Art Gallery brings 18th century artist George Romney into the 21st century

The Yale University Art Gallery makes a clever move in their “Romney: Brilliant Contrasts in Georgian England” exhibit by providing a brilliant contrast with modern American painting in the same style.

The largest and most prominent piece in the exhibit, which runs through Oct. 19, is not by its main subject, 18th century artist George Romney. It is “Portrait of Lynette Yiaom-Boakye, Jacob Morland of Capplethwaite” by a present-day painter (and 2001 Yale School of Art graduate) Kehinde Wiley, who is known for rethinking classical portraiture by introducing contemporary Black people into a domain dominated for centuries by rich white men.

Wiley directly references Romney’s “Jacob Morland of Capplethwaite” by his subject, a self-aware woman wearing glasses and a plaid skirt hold a hunting rifle. The painting provides a sharp juxtaposition to Romney’s more conventional subject matter.

The rest of the exhibit, meanwhile, shows the creative sides of Romney that don’t need to be countered or challenged, including his extraordinary drawings of the deplorable conditions in British prisons, inspired by his visits there with reformer John Howard; his lively illustrations of Bible stories and Shakespeare plays; his stunning “Study of a Clouded Moonlit Sky”; and other works which, if you didn’t know Romney died in 1802, you would swear had to have been created a century or so later.

His work — with the exceptions of those frilly portraits which are purposefully downplayed here — is vibrant, loose, raw and modernistic. The Yale University Art Gallery arranges them vividly and adds some musical instruments to the display to enhance that weird vibrating drone you get from looking at some of these eerie drawings.

The Yale University Art Gallery is at 1111 Chapel St. in downtown New Haven. Visiting hours are Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hours extended until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. artgallery.yale.edu.